Aviation Assets.

[HorseSoldier]

So, something along the lines of the Mini 14 could come into service as a primary issue rifle to suppliment small arms.

As I said, light artillery could also be produced on smaller numbers in the 105 and 75mm howitzer class is WWII technology that again would be quite capable in a small manufacturing shop.

My guess would be something like a Mini-14 would be too labor and machining intensive compared to, say, an AK. For any post-nuke completely new design, I'd guess that even if people weren't just making straightforward AK clones, they'd draw more on that style of design (as well as the StG-44 and CETME/G3) -- but I suppose it depends on available machinery and other resources.

Artillery in other than existing calibers runs into a secondary choke point on the ammunition supply. I suspect that given the choice between building a small number of reproductions of WW1 vintage 75mm field guns and ammo for them and a much larger number of medium and heavy mortars with comparatively plentiful ammo, the latter path wins for just about all applications in a scavenger economy.

[pmulcahy11b]

One thing is that the government's stock of core weapons (M16, M4, M9, M203, AT4, etc) would be readily available as plans that could be distributed in an emergency to whoever had the facilities or workshops to build them (as the Nazis did in the late stages of World War 2). Add to this robust and relatively easy-to-build weapons like revolvers, the AK-47/AKM, the M3 Grease gun, the Sten, and suchlike. Think of the amazing work the Nazis were able to accomplish in 1944-45 despite the fact that Germany was largely a ruin.

Here's another thing I always thought would be true post-TDM: things like M16s with wooden stocks, pistol grips, and handguards. Later, you might even see the light alloy construction of the receiver replaced with steel stampings.

[jester]

So something more akin to a AR-18 which is more stamped with a internal assembly similiar to an AK. I do not see the US switching to AKs but rather sticking to something American simply for the purpose of using as one of their main weapons a home designed and manufactured weapon.

Also, rather than a M3 Greasegun, I would think the MAC series of submachineguns would be much easier to produce and use less materials too.

As for pistols, for a little bit more you can make a MAC 10 or MAC 11, it would simplify the aresenal if you could keep the number of additional weapons to a minimuim for ease of logistics, training, repair and resupply, as well as similiar manufacturing considerations.

However, if pistols were wanted. I could see them being personaly purchased by individuals in the military much like was the case for many armies through the centuries where officers were required to provide their own sidearms.

[HorseSoldier]

Don't know how I forgot the AR-18 previously, but yes, that's exactly the sort of rifle I can see MilGov, CivGov, and/or New America manufacturing (though for some reason I always picture New America being way into battle rifles, maybe from hearing too many arm chair militia members talking about how they're going to fight off the Chinese Army with their M1A or something . . .).

On pistols, I can also see the revolver making a come back, since you can (in theory) take, say, a 357 Magnum revolver and run everything from +P+ 357 Magnum loads down to 38 Special loaded with black powder through it.

[HorseSoldier]

Here's another thing I always thought would be true post-TDM: things like M16s with wooden stocks, pistol grips, and handguards. Later, you might even see the light alloy construction of the receiver replaced with steel stampings.

That would be a pretty cool project build for the AR-15 -- a T2K M16EZ. Couple different companies make wood furniture these days, bunch of companies are selling surplus M16A1 kits. Would just need a couple feet of 550 cord to tie the finished product to your back bumper and a stretch of gravel road to drag it up and down a few times to get that been there/done that post-nuclear battlefield look.

[pmulcahy11b]

Another thing: How long would it take before weapon parts, because of different and uneven manufacturing techniques, became no longer interchangeable Or possibly incompatible with pre-TDM parts

[headquarters]

Late WWII jets

For the record , the WWII Luftwaffe had programs running that were overrun by the allies that would have meant that a continued war into 1946 could see numerous jet fighters fielded.

I refer to the excellent pages of Luft46 that has indepth material on these.

A jet engine per say is not very complicated - the V1 bombs had simple jets that actually could be made by pretty untrained personell using scavenged materials.

Building an operational combat aircraft is a totally different matter , but some type of CAS plane could be fielded with very limited resources .Although why you would insist on this being a jet instead of a prop powered one I dont understand - most hitech AAA liek SAMs and indeed much of the radar capacity would be over and done with in this stage of the war ,effectively setting the situation back to around 1945 or eaerlier in terms of anti airpower .
Also there is the question of fuel efficiency , and the advantages that props have in that regard .

If there were factions operating on a level that gave them the possibility to manufacture war supplies after TDM ,(say MilGov or the PolitBureau in what remains of USSR ), putting together a limited production of some sort of "emergency war plane " is certainly possible from a technical point of view.

The alternative being having one or two hi tech fighters with fuel for one or two operations - I would prefer having several old school fighterbombers with fuel for extended ops and aerial recce .Something like the ME-329 or other aircraft that never were -but well have been .

[pmulcahy11b]

That would be a pretty cool project build for the AR-15 -- a T2K M16EZ.

I remember a picture from a magazine about 20-25 years ago of just such a weapon, taken off a dead Sandinista guerrilla by a Honduran unit. It looked pretty weird, but strangely attractive. I imagine, though, it was a good 0.5-1 kilos heavier than a standard M16, though.

[Adm.Lee]

Jets are easier to maintain (fewer moving parts = fewer chances for breakdown), but the materials & skills needed to make them are really expensive and hard to come by, and the fuel is more expensive to refine, AFAIK.

The question, IMO, is how to find and make a high-energy fuel to run those aircraft, prop or jet. You could probably run a blimp or dirigible off ethanol, but not a fixed- or rotary-wing craft.