Flare guns to keep pirate from attacking

[pninja]

Lawyers & international law... plus insurance companies, do prevent effective defense against pirates. During my Navy days, many years ago, I used to train people for this stuff... four guys with .7.62 semi-auto rifles... who know how to use them... won't allow a 20 foot open boat to reach RPG range (about 450 yards)... at least, not with anyone left onboard alive.
The thought that we have to let a small boat... on the open sea... demonstrating hostile intentions... close to the point where they can throw ladders or grappling hooks onto the ship and actually board it... is freakin' ridiculous. Somebody in the shipping indistry needs to grow a pair and say "enough is enough".
A 20 foot open skiff with four to six knuckleheads on board.... assaulting a 600 foot metal marvel? Gimme a break!
In an environmet like that, you observe at 800 yards... hail at 600... if they do not respond with their "intentions" you open fire at 500 yards. If you're people are any good, the threat is neutralized before they get close enough to do any damage. Anybody want to be in an open 20-foot skiff heading towards a big ship while four guys on the ship are directing .308 semi-auto rifle fire against them? Thought not.
That's how pirates used to be handled, before the lawyers got involved.
Chris Christian

Chris, I am a strange Canadian, and I agree with most of what you said. However, I have an issue with you choice of caliber. If I'm warding off pirates, I'm carrying a Barrett 82, something that'll really rip them a new one. Unless the only thing I can get for it is FMJ, in which case I'm going with the next biggest thing with JHP or something like that. If pirates start seeing the comrades in arms blown to smithereens, well,  maybe that'll put the fear of God, *ahem* Allah, into them. No offense meant to Muslims.

[pninja]

But does a non-lethal pirate deterrent system come standard on all his safes? 

non-lethal? Wimp...

[Chris]

The reason for a 7.62 semi-auto like the M1A, FN FAL, etc. is maneuverability. Engaging a nimble small boat, or boats, from the deck of a large ship often requires the shooter shift locations (especially if you only have a handful of shooters) and a steady rest or firing platform may not always be available. The Barret is too large/heavy to be accurately fired from anything other than a supported rest, and a rolling ship taking evasive action is not a steady rest. You need a rifle that can be shoulder fired.. The 7.62 rifles will deliver “minute of panga” accuracy from the shoulder at 600 yards and are handy at close range. A bandolier of ten 20 round mags is convenient to carry. The 7.62 delivers a higher volume of accurate fire, and any torso hit will neutralize a pirate, as well as holing fuel tanks and messing up engines. The .50 cal is nice, but too heavy, too slow, too awkward, and too difficult to carry significant additional ammunition.
Chris Christian

[NavyBlue99TA]

Gotta support Chris on this one (besides, he is the man!  ).  The only decently maneuverable .50 I've used is the M2 and then only when its mounted on a fixed pintle.  The maintenance is a pain because it has to be left exposed due to it taking too long to set up on the mount to be effective if you break it down.  And it is a pain in the but to operate with less than three people:  shooter, loader and runner (to get more ammo).  You can do it with 2 if the ammo is local, but that requires ready service lockers.  All this adds up to crap that merchants won't bother with.  Hell, its hard to get my guys in the Navy to play ball all the time.  The 7.62 is plenty effective on small boats and has a much smaller footprint both physically and logistically.

[Chris]

Rob,
Sounds like things haven't changed much.
Chris Christian former TMT2 USN 1968-1978

[NavyBlue99TA]

I knew there was a reason I liked you, Chris.  Too true about things not changing much especially when talking about the grand old "Ma Duce."  I'm just finishing up a Chief Engineer job on a DDG and heading to be CHENG on an LPD-17 class ship.  One of my division officer jobs was the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer on a Spru-can.  I don't get a whole lot of hands-on work with the shipboard small arms as I used to these days, but I'm fairly well established as a "battle CHENG."     My little avatar is actually a pic of my wife's DDG launching a Harpoon at a target hulk last week.  She's the Weapons Officer (Can I pick 'em or what?  ).

[Chris]

Rob,
Harpoons are so cool, especially since you can also load 'em on a aircraft or boat. P-3s will never be the same, and the LA class has a whole new "tool". Wish we had them back when. Ma Duece did just fine on the PBRs, but I can remember a few bunkers that could have used something heavier.... although I can't figure how we would have toted one on the little green boats. Would have been cool, though.
Now that I know your wife is Weaps, you definitley need to buy a LCR... "Honey, look what I got for you!". Gail concurs.
Have a safe voyage Shipmate.
Chris Christian

[pninja]

The reason for a 7.62 semi-auto like the M1A, FN FAL, etc. is maneuverability. Engaging a nimble small boat, or boats, from the deck of a large ship often requires the shooter shift locations (especially if you only have a handful of shooters) and a steady rest or firing platform may not always be available. The Barret is too large/heavy to be accurately fired from anything other than a supported rest, and a rolling ship taking evasive action is not a steady rest. You need a rifle that can be shoulder fired.. The 7.62 rifles will deliver “minute of panga” accuracy from the shoulder at 600 yards and are handy at close range. A bandolier of ten 20 round mags is convenient to carry. The 7.62 delivers a higher volume of accurate fire, and any torso hit will neutralize a pirate, as well as holing fuel tanks and messing up engines. The .50 cal is nice, but too heavy, too slow, too awkward, and too difficult to carry significant additional ammunition.
Chris Christian

Fine,  you want shoulder-fired? Give 'em hell with TOW's... I'm sure it's probably the most practical answer to this question...

[pninja]

Did I mention that I'm being rather tongue-in-cheek with all this and that I'm not actually serious?

[Chris]

I think we figured that out very quickly.
Chris Christian

[kd7enm]

Is there anything wrong with putting a minigun on all four sides of the ship? If we are going to arm a ship, lets at least have fun doing it. 

-Tyler

[pninja]

Is there anything wrong with putting a minigun on all four sides of the ship? If we are going to arm a ship, lets at least have fun doing it. 

-Tyler

Ohhhhh! A have little shooting pods like on the Millenium Falcon!

[kd7enm]

Now that's what I'm talking about! Add some photon torpedo launchers and I am so there!

[Christopher Burg]

Three words, BFG Nine Thousand.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y7vV1UtvnC8&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Y7vV1UtvnC8&rel=0</a>

Put a few of these buggers on a ship and the pirates won't know what to do.