Rifle Triggers

[mosthumbleone]

When did they unload them? Before then critique must have been fun!

[LancerFi]

LancerFi,

What about the bolt mechanism?  By the time I marched (early 80s) the bolt on top of the rifle had been replaced with a block of wood, but I notice in old photos --even in your AVATAR -- that the bolt is still there.  That must have been painful on the hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, not at all, it was never noticeable to me. My avatar is 1980, I'll look at my 81, 82 and beyond photos of the 2-7 line, but I believe they were there after I aged out.

In 94 our bolt was made of metal I think, some of us did use our rifles from our marching days however.

I'll have to pull out my new rifles from 94 and look now that you mentioned it! It was shiny and silver, but I'm going to have to look to be sure!

[Tansea]

LancerFi

You can clearly hear SCV's rifle line spinning and their straps hitting the stocks on the 1973 albums. It was during the melo solo during the Fiddler Medley.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's because they had metal shanks that ran the length of the strap on the inside to give it that loud slap sound. Pretty cool huh.

[byline]

I think many groups were starting to strip the rifle down by the mid '70s. Some groups kept the strap on but taped them down while others let them fly free.

I remember learning how to spin & toss a rifle with all the hardware on.......many, many holes in the ground!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I put holes in my bedroom ceiling. Did not make my parents happy, that's for sure! In fact, those holes are still there . . . a permanent memorial to my rifle learning pains!

[sburstall]

<<sighing>> I love listening to the older corps recordings and hear the slapping of the straps on the rifles.