What are the weird looking rifles that French soldiers carry?

[starsnuffer]

Im sorry but the French involvement in the American Revolution is by far a sidenote when it comes to major engagements around the world in the past 250 years (Minus Napoleons reign). They may have some great elite units, but as a whole... Please. Maginot line; nuff said. Getting beat by Germany within one month. Nuff said. There is no reason any great country with a supposive "great land army" should be captured that quickly.

Eh, it's a tactical mistake. They didn't keep up with the times. Sort of like thinking overwhelming air power, billions of dollars and technically advanced ground forces can win a war against zealot goat herders. It's just a case of a failed strategy from the getgo, but one that seemed politically sound at the time. See any correlations?

-W

[duggan]

Lulz for the ones without a sense of humor, at first I was joking about the surrender flag, a little ribbing from an ex-grunt. For those that got offended I'm sorry..............sorry that you lack a sense of humor and or your big boy britches. You can take that white flag and the stick it's on and cram it, maybe it'll help ya get over that butthurt feeling you've got.

[pacifico23]

Eh, it's a tactical mistake. They didn't keep up with the times. Sort of like thinking overwhelming air power, billions of dollars and technically advanced ground forces can win a war against zealot goat herders. It's just a case of a failed strategy from the getgo, but one that seemed politically sound at the time. See any correlations?

-W

A tactical mistake is losing a battle. The greatest military blunder in history is losing one of the biggest and powerful nations in the world within 1 month. Especially since the knew and saw the arms build ups since the mid 30's, and was preparing for it. I mean one of there most elite units was/is made up of prisoners and foreigners for gods sake.

And, no correlation at all, if your talking about the eastern front. There is absolutely no correlation to the eastern front to the western front. The western front, was "War Games with live ammunition". The eastern front was a war of annihilation. There is no war, military conflict anything in history that can compare to the Eastern Front.

And if your talking about Afghanistan, also absolutely no correlation either. There is nothing to capture in Afghanistan, its more a police effort. Making the biggest blunders in military history, don't compare to failing to police a sparce population over vast rugged terrain with very little natural resources. .

[starsnuffer]

I disagree.

The Maginot line cost 7billion Francs to construct by 1939. That's 5.9 billion in today's US dollar. The war in Afganistan has thus far cost$1.29 trillion US dollars, and we don't have cool mushroom shaped bunkers to show for it.

I guess you can say that we're much better at wasting taxpayer dollars then the French are.

-W

[pacifico23]

If your talking about amoung of dollars of dollars than sure. But when you look at kill ratios, battles, and engagements won in Afghanistan we were very efficient. We spent the extra money to ensure less troops were in danger. Personally I dont think thats a waste of money. Our vested dollars actually made a difference. Where as the maginot and build up of the eastern front, the appeasement, and all the counter intelligence post war was all for nothing...

[starsnuffer]

Again I disagree. Our presence "winning" battles in Afganistan has just created more zealots and "terrorists". The French loosing so easily actually caused the war to end sooner, if most historians are to be believed. If the French had successfully defended against the Nazi's it's likely that the war would have lingered much longer, the Nazi tech would have had more time to develop, and in the end Germany would have been a much more deadly and decisive foe. We could be living in a much different world.

Its a hypothetical argument though. Just don't assume that one country is better then another due to the decisions that some old men made a long time ago or are making now.

Governments, borders, and people come and go, there are plenty of each to go around.

-W

[MrPlink]

I disagree.

The Maginot line cost 7billion Francs to construct by 1939. That's 5.9 billion in today's US dollar. The war in Afganistan has thus far cost$1.29 trillion US dollars, and we don't have cool mushroom shaped bunkers to show for it.

I guess you can say that we're much better at wasting taxpayer dollars then the French are.

-W

not even remotely a fair comparison.

The Maginot line was built as a response to WWI the other is an actual war.

How can you compare a the cost of a single installation to the entire cost of a war?

Its a hypothetical argument though.

Very hypothetical, it presumes the Russian part of the equation does not exist.

[Standard]

I don't think anyone would argue that the French didn't F up pretty bad in WWII. What I take issue with is the constant "ALL THE FRENCH DO IS SURRENDER HERP DERP" BS that people spew because that's the only part of history they bothered to pay attention to. They are a very old nation with a pretty darn good history, militarily and otherwise.

[smog7]

I don't think anyone would argue that the French didn't F up pretty bad in WWII. What I take issue with is the constant "ALL THE FRENCH DO IS SURRENDER HERP DERP" BS that people spew because that's the only part of history they bothered to pay attention to. They are a very old nation with a pretty darn good history, militarily and otherwise.

you deserve a quote

[beretta929mm]

I doubt the French would use something made outside of France, except for elite units. With that being said, I have no doubt what you saw were indeed the Famas. One unique rifile that shoots M193 ammo, and has a separate 3 round burst switch, and a high rate of fire, oh, yes it is a delayed blow back action.

[Crunch130]

I think both of those rifles look like something the Orkin man uses to spray for bugs!

The last GOOD-looking French battle rifle was the Berthier 1907/15. Well, maybe the MAS 49.

Crunch

[smle-man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhqTpF96p9k&NR=1&feature=fvwp

More FAMAS in action pictures.

[smle-man]

I doubt the French would use something made outside of France, except for elite units. With that being said, I have no doubt what you saw were indeed the Famas. One unique rifile that shoots M193 ammo, and has a separate 3 round burst switch, and a high rate of fire, oh, yes it is a delayed blow back action.

They used the SIG 540 until the FAMAS was ready for issue but that was in the past. They've also used the Ruger AC 556.

[rojocorsa]

Just sayin'!




*I'm going under the assumption that the Euro chick is French due to the picture of the wine basket. Either way, just replace the EU flag with the tri-color and the point still stands.

Another thing the French deserve credit for is the fact that their government forms and all that stuff are in French. Not like us, where we have to have one for like 8 different languages.

[zfields]

They used the SIG 540 until the FAMAS was ready for issue but that was in the past. They've also used the Ruger AC 556.

Didnt they buy the rights to produce it in france though before they adopted it?