The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Blu wrote:

Interesting to see a wound dressing in the cutout of the stock, a common practice since the Soviet Afghan

And totally useless should he become wounded and separated from his rifle in the heat of battle or in darkness. The best place for his field dressing is on the top of the webbing strap opposite the shooting shoulder. Then should he become wounded the dressing can be easily reached from front or back.

Blu

Standard practice in Australia from the 60's to the 90's - can't comment about later, I was out! IIRC the dressing wasn't for you it was for the bloke you were treating.

Sandgroper, which way was common practice? On the butt or the webbing? British Army it was a personal field dressing, you got wounded the dressing you had was the one they used first.

Blu

Blu wrote:

Interesting to see a wound dressing in the cutout of the stock, a common practice since the Soviet Afghan

And totally useless should he become wounded and separated from his rifle in the heat of battle or in darkness. The best place for his field dressing is on the top of the webbing strap opposite the shooting shoulder. Then should he become wounded the dressing can be easily reached from front or back.

Blu

It worked in Afghanistan, Chechnya,Georgia and South Ossetia so can't be that useless.They carried wound dressings in pouches etc too as well as on the stock.

Blu wrote:Sandgroper, which way was common practice? On the butt or the webbing? British Army it was a personal field dressing, you got wounded the dressing you had was the one they used first.

Blu

On the butt of the rifle. I do remember being told that the dressing on your rifle is the first one you go for - for you or a mate - but my memory is a bit hazy on the specifics because I think the introduction of Steyr (bullpup) put an end to the practice.

Plus at various time I was signaller (taped one to the radio - wasn't meant to loose the radio!) and was also acting as the medic for Support Flight and had more of the buggers than I knew what to do with!.

Sandgroper, I remember some of our guys sticking it on the rifle butts and being told to take it off and stick it on their webbing. Different SOP's I guess.

Blu

Blue-SOP(hate this word...)may change/depends from equipment-he is wearing no webbing but full size heavy body armour
We were told always to use wounded bloke kit first,too-but...the heat of the battle has own rules..or no rules

Blu wrote:Sandgroper, I remember some of our guys sticking it on the rifle butts and being told to take it off and stick it on their webbing. Different SOP's I guess.

Blu

The practice in Australia seems to have largely ceased, although some of the SF guys still have them on the butts of their M4's. On the Steyr a spare magazine pouch seems popular, now.