Comments by "" (@obsidianjane4413) on "The Armourer's Bench" channel.

  1.  @moritamikamikara3879  You know how to use Google right? A search for "RPG 29 in Ukraine" turned up a dozen pics.
    64
  2. The secondary does not defeat ERA, its a decoy to make active protection systems like (probably very specifically ) Trophy, activate prematurely. Its unlikely that these rockets have the kind of accuracy needed to hit the exact same ERA tile needed to defeat the protection. The main rocket's very RPG-29-esque tandem charge is what defeats the ERA.
    43
  3. Dude nearly gave us a close up demonstration of its function.
    34
  4. Dead is still dead. And "almost" doesn't count. These sacrifice all of the combat ability of the vehicle for the dubious defense against just one threat.
    26
  5. Its ergonomics are fine for flare, etc. launcher. The design is no doubt a conscious one to make it NOT look or feel like a gun so that they don't run afoul of the sundry firearms laws and outright bans in many places. Yes, this isn't a good solution to FPV drones. Its effective range is probably less than the grenade that gets knocked out of the drone that was attacking you...
    23
  6. Kinda what I was thinking. If the FSB/GRU think you "defected" they might come after you or your family. But if you were captured, even stupidly, maybe not.
    22
  7. PLA is pretty darn degradable. Probably not bio friendly, but the plastic becomes very brittle after even a short time exposed to the weather.
    19
  8. No. Its because these were designed for mounting on a boat, so it has machinery and whatnot that extends for another meter or so into that trunk and the Russians couldn't/didn't want to cut a hole in the hull so they just welded the whole thing down and called it хороший.
    14
  9. This is a "toe popper" Its not designed to kill. Just has enough charge to damage a foot.
    11
  10.  @bigvaxmeanie925  Used for artillery until the antique gun broke. Now used as a surrendermobile.
    10
  11.  @GingerMan69420  I would not have wanted to be there to find out.
    10
  12.  @Hellsong89  These seem to be percussion initiated. And the casing's integrity is what stores enough energy for the striker (screw) to ignite the booster which sets off the charge. Think of an egg shell that is very strong until it fails. That means it won't take very long at all for the PLA to deteriorate to the point where it won't have enough resistance. These are far less of a long term threat than the millions of "real" AP mines that have been scattered all over Ukraine already.
    7
  13.  @TheBic4  I guess your google-fu is weak. Probably not the only thing...
    7
  14.  @ericmckinley7985  As mentioned in the video these are replacing the even older and lighter pieces in the territorial defense units. Towed guns are much more manpower intensive, but they are mobile enough to be survivable. Artillery (and most every other) unit do not have fixed positions, because that is a good way to get dead by counterbattery and air/drone strikes. Not even their hide and assembly areas are fixed. They have a zone of concealed locations and pre plotted firing positions that they "shoot and scoot" from. The ranges and employment is probably the same as 152/155mm guns.
    7
  15. Its just a "toe popper". Its not meant to kill. Just produce casualties and attrit a force trying to move thru the mine field. You will not feel like stormtroopin' after your foot has been turned into hamburger.
    7
  16.  @BackyardDogPark9862  There were better options because there was no reason or special conditions for a it to exist (space infantry or light weight drones). Now there is.
    6
  17. APSs have the ability to differentiate small arms from actual threats. Otherwise it could be defeated by just spraying MG fire. The LAW 80 used a 9mm round that matches the ballistics of the rocket. But its very unlikey to fool an APS the same way a larger... smaller rocket theoretically can.
    6
  18. Not at all. Its "job security".
    6
  19.  @adamchurvis1  ERA and APS are not the same thing.
    5
  20. That would require specific reloading equipment to refurbish the cases when its easier to just use the plentiful ball ammo. Ivan an't got time for that.
    5
  21.  @mt8956  I have yet to see any evidence that one of these has successfully breached a defense.
    5
  22. More the recoil not wrecking the frame, motors, electronics, etc. since they are lightly built and not designed to withstand lateral (or any) shock loads. Accuracy, esp. in a single-shot weapon is just a matter of aligning the weapon with the camera and whatever is being used a sight reticle.
    5
  23. It has the metal screw and percussion cap. Not. Ruzzia on the other hand has sown millions of fully plastic AP mines.
    4
  24. The difference is the fire is on the outside of the tank instead of inside.
    4
  25.  @GingerMan69420  That is probably wrong. Drones can carefully place objects on the ground. Don't go into UXO work. You wouldn't last long.
    4
  26. They are probably barrels for some 40mm AGL. They aren't for a Mk19. The walls are far to thick. Maybe a helicopter gunship AGL? Who knows, those guys might not even know. Ukraine has so much random stuff having had Soviet design and production facilities and had so much random hardware donated to it.
    4
  27.  @SueMyChin  You have no idea what I'm talking about. Look up the word "parallex".
    4
  28. Since the Russians and Ukrainians are both still using towed guns, you are probably wrong.
    4
  29.  @lukebrainman  Wouldn't work at all because if you stacked the projectiles like a "roman candle", then the lead rocket would have no way to vent its exhaust/reaction mass and thru would impart recoil. Having a "staging" where a faster front rocket leaves the main one after leaving the tube would also cause them to have all sorts of flight dynamic problems. This is probably the best/simplest solution although the integration could be better. Its easy to imagine the secondary tube getting bent out of alignment from being banged around and used as a carrying handle.
    3
  30. Depends on what they are printed with. There are specific degradeable plastics and even PLA will breakdown quickly in weather.
    3
  31.  @contagioushavoc5794  A 40mm diam. shaped charge probably would have enough energy to piss off an ERA tile into initiating. But it wouldn't be very useful because is not where the main warhead is likely to strike, and would be an added cost with no real benefit. Its just a decoy.
    3
  32. So they emplaced the mine upside down? Or was it flipped over so the writing could just so happen to be seen?
    3
  33.  @Eklektos_Filandos  The butterfly mines are made from more substantial molded plastic. 3D printed plastic have vastly more surface area and the usual plastic, PLA, breaks down quickly due to weathering. These won't be functional for more than a year.
    3
  34. The TM=63 has a "anti-tamper" (boobytrap) plug that can take a blasting cap or a grenade fuse. Or you can just put some C4 with a cap on slow fuse in the detonator well like the ones in the close up clips show.
    3
  35.  @alexipestov7002  Take your own advise. "Some height" doesn't mean anything. These are designed to initiate with the force of a single foot pressure, which means about 70kg or 686N. So go do the math on what "some height" you get with that.
    3
  36.  @pugmiester  That is not true, some high explosives are very volatile. Also if you knew what you were writing about you would know that its the booster and initiator which is what makes it dangerous from an "oopsie".
    3
  37. Its almost surely to gain standoff in order to defeat drone jammers.
    3
  38.  @hannesbaum9318  That's wrong. PLA breaks down in less than a year , and gets embrittled when exposed to sunlight in a week. That is why PLA printing filament goes "bad" over time. I have a spool that is several years old and its a PITA to work with because it will snap at random. While its fine for something sitting on your desk or as a quick prototype, these will quickly go inert because I think they rely on the PLA shell resisting compressive forces to a sufficient amount until "crunching" and providing enough energy for the striker to set off the percussion cap.
    3
  39.  @AricGardnerMontreal  Famous last words.
    3
  40. I guess you've never heard of a "kangaroo".
    3
  41. Its for shooting down other drones. Vertical dropping something on them is much more difficult than lining up and shooting something like a shotgun at one horizontally.
    3
  42. No.
    2
  43. That would make it "gun like". Its not a gun.
    2
  44.  @DivadNoodeldehm-lz2gm  Because the the MIC doesn't get fed when the DoD buys NIH. You don't want to know how much it cost.
    2
  45.  @contagioushavoc5794  Refer to earlier explanation that ERA and APS are different.
    2
  46. A Sprinter van is road bound even when it not towing several tons of artillery and ammo. Even worse when the ground is wet. Guns need a real military prime-mover. The standards are less than 10 minutes. If you are still around a half an hour after firing the first round, you will get very dead very fast in Ukraine.
    2
  47. What I find amazing is the OPSEC fail of them posting construction pics. Stupid orcs...
    2
  48. They are not operating from fixed positions. They are doing "shoot and scoot" because Russian counterbattery is very strong.
    2
  49. It boggles the mind that its even conceivable that Ruzzia might have to import small arms.
    2
  50. Won't help. That isn't the problem. There is a reason why recoilless rifles have a venturi nozzle on the back.
    2