Message no. 1

From:	James Dening james@************.force9.co.uk
Subject:	Questions of minor importance......<Sigh>
Date:	Thu, 9 Sep 1999 11:02:26 +0100

>>No, Paul, what JAMES was discussing was unsniperish, except in a SWAT
>>team or urban theatre situation. You're talking about something else.
>>And you're right there. But if a sniper wants to carry a secondary
>>weapon, would a pistol or SMG really be as good as a GL? AFAIK, those
>>things don't have the range of a GL, so the GL allows the sniper to
>>keep his distance moreso than the others.

>>> A GL needs _more_ aiming, not less: you need to estimate the range
>>much more accurately, and allow much more for wind than with a rifle or
>>SMG.

>>Sorry, poor phrasing. Aiming is not such a concern if you want to
>>DISSUADE pursuit. It is if you want to HIT pursuers.

FWIW, I was presupposing an Urban setting, as that seems to be where
most SR sniping goes on - and SMG was chosen not to HIT pursuers, but
to get their heads down while the sniper does a runner. And most urban theatre
situations do seem to have the sniper fairly enclose - simply 'cos urban cover tends to
be hard, as opposed to soft cover like foliage etc.

Plus, even in a rural setting, when someone spots a sniper, it's usually
a case of "Hey, I saw something up by the tree line" "Where exactly?"
"Not sure...."

Now, if grenades were used....

"Not sure - ooh, look, someone's just lit off about 10 grenades - now we
know EXACTLY where they are!"

Sorry, but the whole grenades thing is just....well.....dunno...seems wrong,
somehow. Now, having a *DRONE* ready to lay down covering fire as the
sniper vamooses, now that sounds *very* cool....

J.

PS Am I imagining things, or did GridSec ask for the whole Second Hand
thread to be taken off list....I must confess it's boring me shitless now....