!CAUTION!
YOU ARE IN A "VERBAL SHRAPNEL" RICH DOMAIN
11 November 2008
The Butter-Cutter On Green Ammunition
“Well,” I said to The Butter-Cutter, 'it looks like the Armed Forces are going to change to green 5.56mm ammunition for the M-16 rifle, M-4 carbine, and M-249 machine gun.” (1)
“Green ammunition? Waddaya talkin' about? They gonna camouflage all the bullets with green paint so targets won't see 'em comin'?” he asked in return.
“No. No. The change to green ammunition means that the use of lead in the projectile is being phased out in order to make it environmentally friendly,” I explained.
“Wait a freakin' minute. Bullets are supposed ta KILL 'n' somebody wants ta make 'em 'FRIENDLY?' Ain't that another one o' them ox-eye-morons?” he exclaimed with confusion.
“Oxymoron or not, there is, apparently, a negative effect on the plant-life by lead bullets,” I speculated.
“Whoa, there!” The Butter-Cutter groaned. “Ya tellin' me these lead bullets are killin' the freakin' grass 'n' we gotta change 'em because o' that?” he asked with astonishment.
'”It's much more than just the grass. Apparently, the lead in the bullets affects the soil, the water that runs through the soil, and the animal life that feeds off their products. This is especially the case in areas where the military conducts live-fire exercises where there is a build-up of spent projectiles.”
“Oh, Bull Shit! We shoot at embankments on rifle ranges and hold live-fire exercises on small plots o' ground; in other words, our shootin' in trainin' is in restricted areas: What's the big problem?”
“I am not aware of the specific studies showing the impact of lead bullets on the environment, so I really can't answer your question, 'What's the big problem?' But, it appears that even those restricted areas suffer negative effects from the lead bullets fired there.“
“Oh, my ass! There's only a little bit o' lead in the 5.56mm bullet 'n' it's covered with a FULL-METAL JACKET keepin' the lead from intoxicatin' the ground. Compare that with them all-lead balls 'n' mini-balls they fired durin' the Civil War. Show me one hunk o' farm-land that don't grow stuff because o' all them lead bullets shot there 'n' still in the ground. How come they ain't intoxicatin' the ground 'n' keepin' stuff from growin' there?” The Butter-Cutter challenged me to explain with a smug grin.
“No, I can't explain why the toxic effect of all those Civil War lead bullets hasn't kept crops from growing on farms that were once battlefields during that War. Moreover, I can't explain the toxic effect of one bullet, or even one thousand lead bullets, per square inch of soil on plant life, water, or whatever might grow, live, or flow through there. As I said, I know of no specific studies that address that issue and the article I read announcing this change to green bullets did not reference any such study. However, I do NOT mean to say that such studies do NOT exist: I just do not know of them.”
“. . . 'n' ya don't know if there are any studies sayin' this is all BULL SHIT either! So, tell me: What er who is pushin fer this ta happen--turnin' the bullets green?” The Butter-Cutter asked.
“The explanation I read is that there is a growing number of environmental regulations that the DoD is trying to keep from constraining military training; especially, live-fire exercises.” I said. (1)
“Oh yeah. Well, in them places we been shootin', how many people have died from these old bullets in the ground . . . er got real sick from 'em?”
“I have no idea; but, I would guess, none,” I answered.
“SHIT, PISS, F**K, DAMN! Ya got no reports showin' bad shit happenin' from these bullets; then, WHO is drivin' . . . bitchin' 'n' moanin' about all this?” he asked with irritation.
“I presume the DoD is responding to initiatives of environmental groups such as Green Peace. I . . . “
He cut me off to interject, “DoD? The Dumbest of Dumb Spear-Chuckers are bowin' ta the TREE HUGGERS? FREAKIN' *%$#*&*%@%$TREE HUGGERS SAY OUR BULLETS ARE KILLIN' GRASS 'N” THEM FREAKIN' DoD SPEAR-CHUCKERS JUMP THROUGH THEIR ASS-HOLES TA SATISFY 'EM. BUT, WHEN WARRIORS SAY THEM F**KIN' VARMINT BULLETS DON'T DO SHIT AGAINST ENEMY SOLDIERS, THE DoD SPEAR-CHUCKERS TELL 'EM THEIR REPORTS ARE NOTHIN' BUT A BUNCH O' ANECDOTALS; LIKE, THEY DON'T MEAN SHIT!” The Butter-Cutter screamed at me. “In fact, you, yerself, wrote about over 40 years of American warrior reportin' that this bullet takes multiple hits ta put down somebody 'n' ya finished off with a report o' two soldiers in Iraq bein' shot 'n' killed after puttin' a bunch o' these 5.56's inta a bad guy, 'n' what did the Spear-Chuckers do about that?” (2)
“As far as I know, nothing,” I answered.
“Maan, there ya go: Hurray fer the TREE HUGGERS 'n' F**k the TROOPS!” he said while shaking his head.
Semper Shaking My Head,
Anthony F. Milavic
Major USMC (Ret.)
(1) http://www.kansascity.com/105/v-print/story/871686.html
(2) http://www.thebutter-cutter.com/Last_Big_Lie_Of_VNhtml
Les Horn said: November 12th, 2008 8:00 am
Lessee -- Lead occurs naturally in the environment. Its ore is widely dispersed around the world. So we mine it (take it out of the ground), and make lotsa' stuff out of it, including bullets, which the Marines pump back into the ground. What's the prob?
sniperbait66 said: November 12th, 2008 8:57 am
OK, so what happens to the DEPLETED URANIUM ROUNDS?? Or aren't we allowed to mention those, since the pilots flying the A-10s aren't properly sheilded from the radiation. The DU used in the "Hyper Velocity" SABOT rounds that our guys got to clean up in Iraq without being warned of their radioactivity, etc. SO WHEN DID THE F*CKING DoD BECOME RESPONSIBLE ADULTS? BASTA@DS! So we shouldn't go fishing? or use lead weights to balance our wheels? Believe me, there is MORE LEAD ON THE HIGHWAYS than in the pits at the ranges at Camp Pendleton. Why don't we "mine" the lead out of the sand and recycle it through some Politicians?
Sully said: November 12th, 2008 10:34 am
Another outstanding Butter Cutter! You have, Sir, a way with words that others of us who play at writing can only hope to emulate. I'm sure that I'm about the umpteenth person who think it would be a grand idea if you assembled your various Butter Cutter offerings in book form. Should you do so please put me on the list for an autographed First Edition. Many years back there was someone who wrote under the pseudonym of "base Plate McGurk" for Leatherneck Magazine. OId base Plate was the only writer who came close to your ability to put the concerns of the Marine Snuffy into the glorious syntax of our Beloved Corps. Please keep on keeping on, knowing there are those of us out here who wait impatiently for your latest Butter Cutter. Very respectfully, Semper Fidelis, Sully (Three war Marine. One Victory Medal) http://www.sullyusmc.com
Glen Barry Evans said: November 12th, 2008 1:17 pm
Obviously no duck hunters have answered. Lead was replaced as the shot in bird loads several (decades ?) ago. Lead is a heavy metal, much the same as mercury. Ingested, it can cause a great deal of damage on your system. The theory was, the shot goes into the water and is eaten by water fowl and fish, which are eaten by us. Now think lead based paint. SameO, SameO. I don't know if the science is right on the lead bullets, but I do remember more than one range being shut down back in the early 60's and later to allow the lead to be dug out of the embankment.
ken martin said: November 13th, 2008 5:47 am
I now have to re-subtitle my Edward G. Robinson movies. "Drop the gun Blackie, or ya get a belly fulla of bismuth"
sniperbait66 said: November 14th, 2008 3:36 am
OK, so now how do we "Green" a Fuel-Air Bomb? Or a Nuke? When the BA@TARDS COME FOR US/OUR WEAPONS, are they going to use "Green" ammo? Are they even going to consider using the Geneva Convention? I think not. So, I've pulled a page out of the VC Playbook, and suggest everyone put a little human excrement in their hollowpoints, then use any handy hard type wax or even resin to seal the tip of the round. We'll give the NWO a little "Brown" to go with the "Green". One hit in the arm or lower leg, one amputation. One hit in the armpit or crotch where the Kevlar doesn't cover, one agonizingly SLOW death for a Traitor or Invader. Seems like the the VC had a good idea, just didn't carry it far enough, or we were kept IN THE DARK about the "other uses" of human excrement. Better than Teflon if you can shoot accurately. Takes four to care for one, and if they KNOW their chances of dying from a simple wound are PRETTY NEAR 100%, they may not be so damned bold as to come to our doors to demand our weapons. They'll opt for driving up and down the street with a bullhorn, collecting rounds in the face, and neck with Molotov Cocktail Party favors as they go. Of course, they may just Fuel Air bomb all the small towns in Middle America to rid themselves of us "pesky Americans". So, you big City folks take this advice to heart. It doesn't matter WHERE we kill them. It just matters that WE stood UP and KILLED them. WE outnumber the Enemy three or four thousand to one. Make every shot count, keep safe(ish). Good Hunting, God willing.
Robert Wilson said: November 14th, 2008 2:19 pm
The Butter Cutter nailed it. My oldest son is an environmental chemist and he agrees with Butter Cutter whole heartedly. My son said lead is not water soluble and as a matter of fact, it comes out of the ground to begin with just as Les Horn pointed out!
Robin Rebhan said: November 17th, 2008 5:24 pm
Just when I thought 5.56mm ammo couldn't possibly be made worse.