Rocket Launcher Trip Report

HP · #1 09-07-2006, 01:47 PM

So I'm in Cambodia having a touristy day, checked out the Killing Fields, which was pretty intense. Cambodia's got a crazy recent history. I'm with 3 other dudes, and we've planned to go shoot some AK-47's afterwards.

This is illegal, and seems to be discouraged by Cambodians who want a better image for Cambodia fyi

We pull up in our tuk tuk, and the place appears to be a weird cross between a shooting range and cafe, the menu: popular rifles (AK, M-16 etc.), Some pistols, anti-aircraft guns, high caliber machine guns, grenades, a rocket launcher, sprite, coke, and beer. I'd have taken a picture of the menu but they didn't want us to

I'm not big on guns usually (I'd prefer it to be illegal for anyone to own a gun without a really good reason, and then only certain guns/rifles), and I'm very much a non-violent person, but I felt the need to understand more about the AK-47. It's had quite an effect on recent human history, just this one weapon. I wanted to know how easy it is to shoot, how accurate it is, how heavy it is, what it sounds like, and anything else I can learn about it. And it looked like fun to shoot.

So the dude casually sets me up with a full clip. I squeeze off ~10 bullets, then set it to fully automatic and it's all over in 3 bursts. I have not fired many guns before in my life, and to me this weapon seemed very easy to use.

2+2er magicninja was with me, but he didn't want to shoot anything, IIRC he was in the middle of a 3 day bender of drugs and sex and didn't trust himself near exploding things

I pick up the menu again, and just know that I need to fire that rocket launcher. This was about 10% wanting to learn and understand the world etc. etc., 90% it's looks really f'in awesome. I'm quite nervy at this point, but manage to psych myself up for it and call it in. They had to organize a 4wd (means SUV if you are American) to come pick me up and take me to the mountains. It was quite a nice car, which looked very out of place in a country as poor as Cambodia. From what I hear many people make $8 US a month in the rice fields.

They had quite a nice DVD player in the 4wd, we watched the movie Jarhead on the way there and back (about an hour each way) which seemed kind of fitting. One of the two military dudes knew English ok, and laughed at all the funny parts of the movie with me.

We arrive at what looks like a small military base and drive to a building that apparently has weapons and ammunition inside. We load up a third military dude in the car, a rocket launcher, an AK, and some grenades, then drive 5 mins away to some nearby mountains. I was a little nervous at this point, since I didn't understand why they needed an AK, and it just hit me that they could kill me extremely easily out here and take all my money. The AK was just for warning shots to clear the area though.

They set up my rocket launcher, rather aggressively and carelessly IMO. I'm instructed to aim at the mountains 55 degrees from the horizon. I'm very on edge at this point. They do a countdown, I try to fire but the trigger won't budge. A dude fiddles with it, starts another countdown, and again the trigger won't budge. During this, I'm pondering in the back of my mind the odds of this thing detonating in my face. I'm also getting so nervy and shaky I'm having trouble holding this thing.

The real countdown begins and I shoot it. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I expected to actually see the rocket leave the gun and fly through the air, like in the movies in slow motion. I've seen actors like Arnold Swarchenegger even have time to jump out of a building after a rocket has been fired. Not the case, after a short while I see an explosion ~200 metres ahead, it was pretty cool.

vids are poor quality and a bit smushed cause I have a wide screen video recorder and I'm too lazy to un-squish it

vid

So we pack up and they ask If I want to throw a grenade and I can't resist. The idea of throwing a grenade scared the crap out of me, but man did it sound cool.

A guy in broken English explains how to use it: "Hold this [handle thing] against grenade, pull pin, throw in middle of pond". I go to pull the pin but I'm shaking so bad I can't pull the pin out even while pulling my hardest, so one of the dudes helps me a little. Very soon after I let go of the grenade it makes a sound like a firecracker blowing up (They didn't tell me that was going to happen!), and I instinctively start running away like a little girl. A military dude grabs my arm, turns me around and says "look look! 4.... 3.... 2.... 1.... BOOM!"

vid

That was cool too. This was definitely the most terrifying experience of my life. That night I felt so drained (the past week had been quite eventful) I went back to the hostel with plans to sip a beer and crash early. One beer turned into several beers + joints, and one of the dudes with me needed me for a double date with a psycho Cambodian chick.

*from here on mostly drivel*

While leaving, I notice one can drive around a tank, and shoot off a round for 2k. I play around with the idea for a few days and conclude I need to do that. MagicNinja's 21st birthday was coming up, so I do my best to sell it to him, but he's all "nah I just wanna play poker poker poker", he proceeds to steam off 9k online while turning 21, lol serves him right. Right after midnight I look up from my comp and say "happy birthday dude". About 15 seconds later he says "oh. oh right, yeah." then goes back pokering.

I rid myself of psycho chick, and the three dudes I was with have all gone separate ways so I'm by myself. I go back to the range with 2k in pocket (a LOT of money for Cambodia) and organize the tank. It required a $500 deposit, and they had to ring up the general and everything to set it up for the next day. They even gave me a reciept which I thought was amusing (being illegal and all). While I'm there I figure why not shoot an M60 to get myself in the mood for the next day. Also, while there, out of no where a whole bunch of hotties pull up on moto's, I was like, wtf? Then a bunch of dudes pulled up who looked rich enough to order me killed, and I think the women were their's, so I thought it best not to talk to the girls.

My tuk tuk driver is like (translated from broken English) "dude, I just saw you pay that guy $500, I have GOT to see whatever the hell it is you are shooting. I WILL BE YOUR TUK TUK DRIVER FOR FREE PLEASE LET ME TAKE YOU I MUST SEE THIS" So I'm all like ok cool pick me up tomorrow I'll take you along. Next morning he shows up with his brother, his brother is like (again translated) "I heard your paying $500 to shoot something, WOW! Can I watch too??" lol sure I say.

We head down so I can drive and shoot the tank and fun was had by all. Unfortunately Sok was not very skilled with my video camera so I don't have footage of me actually firing the tank.

Overall the tank actually wasn't that impressive. It was hard to drive (the clutch sucked), and it seemed very inaccurate. I aimed at a target like 200 metres away and I missed like a full 20 metres to the right. Here's me and the Sargent, and me driving the tank

So anyway I shout the tuk tuk driver and his brother a round from an AK, here's a vid of one of them. They were both friendly, and both thought I was friendly so they invited me back to their village where they grew up which was cool, I went for a few days.

edit: pics fixed I think