burning front sight?

[bquick13]

Hello everyone I have been watching the Band of Brothers mini series.

I believe during the eighth or ninth episode,(SPOILER) when they are going on the night raids to capture some germans, when they are preparing their weapons there is a shot of one taking a zippo to his front sight, and I just can't figure out for the life of me what its for. any of ya'll know?
I was thinking glare, but then I realized night raid. So I don't think thats the case.If ya'll know anything about why, I'd like to know.

It's been a good series, I'm looking forward to watching The Pacific tommorrow, hope its just as good. Can't wait to watch the MARINES do some WORK!

[Quinbo]

If you ever actually make it to boot camp and the rifle range you will see the smoke pots or now some spray on applications that apply carbon to your front sight. It erases the glint from distant light and give you a true view of your front site post.

A lighter would do exactly the same thing by blackening the front sight post.

[BR34]

They use the spray on crap at boot camp since, for obvious reasons, the Marine Corps doesn't want lighters in the hands of recruits.

[marinecorpsvet]

Yep, used smokepots on the range at PI in 1975, dont know what they used later. I allways after that carried small can of soot, just dip the fron sights in, and then blow them off, taaa-daa...no glare. Got the soot from the inside of the 5 tons exhaust stacks.
Thanks for the tip MgySgt Pole...

[usmcdanno]

They were called "smudge pots" and they used them at all Marine Corps ranges until about 1990 or so. They were black balls (looked like a cannonball or a bowling ball) with a wick inside and filled with diesel fuel. Stick your sight posts slightly above the flame and the soot would blacken the worn metal so as to prevent glare on the shiny metal of the front post and the rear sight aperture. They also used to use these pots on the the sides of the highways and roads to mark hazards as well. Remembering that makes you pretty old, lol.

[CplKJSpevak]

I was in 92-96 and the smoke pots were always used at the rifle range at that time as well, Bootcamp and FMF range.

[Supersquishy]

Never used the crap, made it a lot easier to clean the weapon after the range, still shot expert.

[TinDragon]

We use lighters out here in Okinawa since Sight Black (the spray on stuff) isn't allowed out here.

[SGT7477]

We never used anything in 1974, Semper Fidelis.

[Old Marine]

When I went through Boot Camp we used Miner's Carbide Lamps to blacken sights.

[usmcdanno]

Ah hell, when I went through boot camp we used to blacken our arrows with dragon's breath.

[fmoyer]

I had forgot about that until reading this we blacken our sights on our M-1s 1n 1959 at the rife range between San Diego and Pendelton can't remember the name of the place, remember we had to walk back to San Diego with the people who didn"t qulaify running circles around the formation all the way back.

[bquick13]

I had forgot about that until reading this we blacken our sights on our M-1s 1n 1959 at the rife range between San Diego and Pendelton can't remember the name of the place, remember we had to walk back to San Diego with the people who didn"t qulaify running circles around the formation all the way back.

haha, I'm guessing you qualified then

Thanks for then info Marines, pretty interesting.

[fmoyer]

Yes I did Sharpshooter out of boot camp was happy with that, the DI's ahd put the fear into us if we did not atleast make marksman .

[tdrt]

Ah hell, when I went through boot camp we used to blacken our arrows with dragon's breath.

LMAO!


When I was in boot camp, WMs only fam fired so it wasn't necessary. But when I had to start qualifying, I remember just using a lighter.