In regards to the BAR. Ditch the carry handle, bi pod, front sight hood. The even flash hider if you can....but yeah, no.

Keep the weight down. Make it as portable as you can to use it as a flexible infantry weapon.

WW2 GI's found / used it best as as a shoulder fired automatic weapon about a half step above the Garand. The BAR shouldn't considered a LMG like the Bren. All sorts of units seem to have used them ( infantry, rangers, paratroopers etc) Oral history has the odd 82nd AB jumping with them in Normandy. Google Harvill Lazenby, quite the soldier.

In late wwii and Korea, the BAR was found to be the least panic / loose fired us firearm ( Garand, Carbine .30 cal and .50 cal included).

As far as kit goes, 6 pouch BAR belt for the gunner. 3 pouch bandoleers will get in the way.

And expect the germans to shoot you more / first.

Great information guys! :)

I like heavy guns, I'll probably pick up both a Garand and a BAR once I start this impression.

Just wondering, would a BAR Gunner have had a side arm? I know alot of Gunners these days tend to have them, or at least the option of having them.

I miss my StG-44 and German gear, but there's no way in hell I'm starting that back up, so I want to do Allied. There's no call for Russians though or that'd be my choice :P

what unit would you want to do?

If you want to do it for historically accurate impression the airborne troops used one if they could find one...but for air soft it shouldn't matter

For the Western front, nothing prevents you from putting together a russian liberation army impression. In 1944, many of these divisions found themselves manning the atlantic wall.
http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthr...=149434&page=3

Honestly, I think I have seen more period pics of a BAR gunner packing a P 08 than a holstered 1911. I don't know if I have seen a wwii BAR gunner with a 1911 actually. Most of the BAR gunner with 1911 photos I have seen are post-wwii (Korea).

Considering the BAR gunner is carrying 12 mags it is pretty unlikely they'd want more carry weight with a sidearm.

But for airsoft nobody is going to mind.

There is a core of Russian reenactors forming, I would not discount that route

While it's a very good idea, and the idea has crossed my mind, the same reason that caused me to sell my S.S. impression is stopping me from going Russian Liberation. I have no wish to be under the German CoC at this point in time or the foreseeable future. As a result, my choices are limited to Allied forces.

To the rest of the responses, thank you, I had imagined that with that many magazines, most guys would have opted not to carry a pistol.

If we don't get more guys going Russian, we will be trapped in Western Europe forever, It would be nice to do some Eastern Front games

Best of both for you Gato, you can go Russian.. and you get to shoot me

I much prefer the witty banter when I have to deal with you as a prisoner or player character :P

Edit: I almost forgot the fun of being your prisoner.... I still remember when I was an unarmed Pilot and you ordered your team to execute me back at that Udora game :P

[QUOTE=
Just wondering, would a BAR Gunner have had a side arm? I know alot of Gunners these days tend to have them, or at least the option of having them.
/QUOTE]

Sidearms were mostly just issued to officers and NCOs/squad leaders and such. But if you managed to get one they wouldnt take it away. And since holsters and spare mags and such were on the approved list of equipment they could be issued the stuff for an issued pistol even if they stole/bought/won in a poker game/however else they got one without it being issued to them.l

I'm planing to be going both ways eventually :lol: I still have bunch of ww2 soviet gear from old collecting days, missing less than I have for good impression.

Here's some of my FJ kit:

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...0_original.jpg

Sumpftarn Knochensack, M38 Stahlhelm with Splittertarn cover, MP 40, Fliegerbluse, Fallschirmjägerhose.

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...0_original.jpg

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...7_original.jpg

With my comrades in England.

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...2_original.jpg

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...7_original.jpg

My tropical kit.

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...1_original.jpg

Der Schlacht ist vorbei.

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...8_original.jpg

The pic I took for my Soldbuch.

And finally, my alterego across the Channel:

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/_cons...3_original.jpg

Next project: Full Luftwaffe EM Ausgehanzug/Walking Out Uniform: peaked cap, straight leg M35 trousers, parade bayonet and Troddel. It never ends...

Looking sharp as always :)

British SAS NW Europe Late War
 

Here is my British SAS Late War NW Europe loadout.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psb3caa405.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps63bcc646.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pse9ca90f4.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps9120b501.jpg

Great pics guys. I've updated some kit as well and as soon as the wife agrees to play photographer il get some newer pics on as well.