Pvt. Pile ending scene on Full Metal Jacket

[DD977GM2]

My Dad is a Former Marine, 66-72, and told me that the bootcamp scenes was
spot on except the ability for Pvt. Pile to obtain rounds from the firing range
and use it agains Gunny Hartmen and himself. I do beleive my Dad, what do the rest of you
former Marines think? Tough tto get rounds fromt he firing range into the barracks during bootcamp?

[airborneranger]

I don't think you need to be a Marine to answer that question but it is possible to keep rounds. There are "brass and ammo" shake-downs but a determined person could get away with it, although it would be improbable - especially in basic.

[tmleadr03]

No fucking way to get rounds. The TSA could learn a few things from DIs when it comes to finding rounds coming off the firing line.

[airborneranger]

No fucking way to get rounds. The TSA could learn a few things from DIs when it comes to finding rounds coming off the firing line.

LOL - you said TSA :)

[battle_sight_zero]

Back in 1985 we had a recruit TRY to send 556 VIA USPS while in basic. It was caught by the postal service. I believe there was another incident as well. So in those days I believe it was possible. There is always ways to circumvent the accountability of things no matter how rigid things are.

[MileHighOutlaw]

It was very easy to get rounds off the firing line. The brass flies off everywhere,all you gotta do is not.shoot a few rounds and pick up your buddies brass and claim it ass your own.

[trlcavscout]

The shake downs would catch most people but it could definitely be done. We only had real A2's in our lockers a few times though most of the time it was the dummy gun. It could happen but i dont think you could sneak a mag off the range unless it was up your ass so it would be a single shot situation.

[waxthis]

Mid 80's era here. And yes it was possible to snag a round or two from the rifle range no problem.

[enfield]

Similar to battle_sight_zero's post, In '80 one of the recruits sent a round home in the mail, but it came back postage due. The DI was handing out mail and felt the round in the envelope.

[AirbornePathogen]

Former soldier here, but I'll weigh in. I never tried it, but if you really, really wanted to, you could sneak live rounds off the range. I knew guys that snuck brass off for souvenirs, it follows that you could get a live round out of there too.

[lpgasman]

Don't know about the rounds, but what about all those bars of soap they beat him with.

[speedysst]

Hell, I never tried in basic but during range days with the Guard, I could have snuck out mags full of ammo if I wanted. The extra rounds in basic always went back into the mag as "alibi" rounds so you could take a couple extra shots at the 300m target.

[Fmedges]

Maybe if you keister rounds, but that's the only way. Nowadays all the weapons are locked up while in the squad bays anyways. If you really wanted to take someone out it would have to be at the rifle range, but even then I don't think you would be successful.

[Fentonite]

I was in USMC boot camp in '88, and can tell you it IS possible. A recruit in our sister platoon (I was in 3098, he was in 3097) got a round off the range and held onto it for a while. When we were out in field training, my platoon was already awake and marching to chow. Platoon 3097 was just falling out of of their hooches as we were marching past, and one recruit didn't come out. Much yelling commenced by the drill instructor, then there was a loud "crack" from within the hooch. The senior DI hollered "pull him out", and a couple other recruits dragged him out by his boots. I won't describe what was left of his head, but I still vividly remember the steam rising from the mess (it was cold out). There was a very thorough shakedown, and they still took our BCG's away.

So yes, it IS possible. Incidentally, after this incident, another recruit threw himself out the window of our top floor squad bay, busting open his grape. They taught us to "improvise, adapt, overcome", and expect we can't kill ourselves without ammo? Please.

[Rucker61]

I had a troop take some C4 and det cord off a demo range, and we didn't find out until months later when he confessed during an Article 15 for some other offense. He was very lucky not to see Leavenworth, especially considering the picayune nature of our CO. He kept it buried in his backyard. He had to know he was too stupid to ever use it without adult supervision.

[tmleadr03]

Maybe if you keister rounds, but that's the only way. Nowadays all the weapons are locked up while in the squad bays anyways. If you really wanted to take someone out it would have to be at the rifle range, but even then I don't think you would be successful.

I was standing close to one of my fellow recruits durring one of the firing evolutions and launched some brass down his blouse. He started jumping around with one hand on his rifle and the other trying to get at the brass. Got two hops in before he got hit like he was on the line in profootball. Followed by another for a dog pile. He was less then pleased with me.

[mcantar18c]

I went through basic not too long ago (as most of you know).
It would have been cake to get live rounds back to the bay after a range day. In fact there was about a full mags worth in the "amnesty box" (were you put contraband and whatnot) by the time it was emptied at the end of OSUT. The Drills do "brass and ammo shakedowns" every time you leave a range, but after a long day of dealing with trainees and running a range, not to mention being more focused on fvcking with the trainees than actually finding anything, they didn't pay too much attention to the real hiding spots.

[DSull]

I went to Parris Island in 1966, you got searched prior to leaving the range and before you went into the barracks, so yes it would have been hard to take live ammo from the range. The PMI's also counted the rounds they gave out and how many you shot and how many you turned in.

[Fmedges]

I was standing close to one of my fellow recruits durring one of the firing evolutions and launched some brass down his blouse. He started jumping around with one hand on his rifle and the other trying to get at the brass. Got two hops in before he got hit like he was on the line in profootball. Followed by another for a dog pile. He was less then pleased with me.

hahaha that's awesome. I was in a fighting hole and the guy next to be got some of my brass down his flak. He didn't get tackled but ran around stripping and screaming. It was a good laugh.

[Storm]

This happened at Ft. Carson back in (I Think) '08/'09, during the great ammo shortage. Some enlisted guy got caught black marketing cases of 5.56. Not sure if he was actually selling the stuff, but was definitely stealing it. I'm not sure if he was pulling this off the range (unlikely) or had access to the armory/ammo storage.