I wasn’t clear… not the rules on storage (in trunk, locked box, ammo in seperate locked box, etc.), but the rules on travel: most direct route from home->range->home, no stops for any reason when transporting, etc. Very easy to make a simple mistake and lose the permit or face charges. This was at least 20 years ago, maybe things have lightened up, although I doubt it.
Yup, that’s the one! Wicked simple mechanism, wicked pull up and right. Awkward for me as a lefty; had to switch hit or get a faceful of hot 9mm cartridges.
The change happened a few years after I left. My company did some testing of one of the possible 5.56mm replacements. As FNC1 carriers, it seemed like such a toy. And targets looked weird with all the sideways bullets. Just our grunt prejudices against something new.
I always wondered if doctrine changed with the extra rounds you could carry. With the FNC1, most shots were intentional, if not fully aimed. I think we carried 140 rounds (3 x 20 mags: 1 in the rifle, 1 in each front lower pocket, 4 x 20 cardboard boxed clips: 1 in each front lower pocket, 1 in each front upper pocket). It did not take long to run out. This is one of the things I always mention when I get in “helmets on” mode: ammo is heavy and there’s never enough. Next is water. 5 gallons is something like 40 pounds and an incredible pain in the ass to carry.
We were always taught how US soldiers, who had already switched to 5.56mm, fired with much less concern for aiming. As all military units do to each other, we mocked this undisciplined approach. Perhaps now Canadian infantry do the same? Next time I see a CAF demo unit I’ll ask.
We better stop. People are gonna start talking…
