Shashman 0 Posted November 30, 2004 Well I know that Mk. stands for Mark although in this case I don't think Mark is what it stands for...Hmmmm indeed! Mark and military is not always a good combination nowadays: BBC World News! Lol yeah  But the Mark I was referring to is the one derived from the French term, Marque I know - but isn't the term "mark" usually used in an unofficial way, like in products that are changed without these changes being reflected in the official designation? Sorry, but the only examples I can think of is the Jaguar 3.8 Mark II that officially was only known as 3.8, and the Austin Healey 3000 Mark III Spitfire Mk.II, Mk.IX, etc... Most British aircraft were given Mk.s Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACF 0 Posted November 30, 2004 A quick bit of digging suggests the US Army have doone something like this: <193? Models defined by years 193?-194? (end of WWII-ish) sequentially from M1 194?-late 80s - seem to be year based Then started with the sequential numbers again So for 'squad' automatics we could consider: M1918 & M1922 BAR M1919A6 .30 cal M60 GPMG Test models used to be T (at least for tanks) then became XM for experimental models. However, the basic rule seems to be that there isn't one! 'Marks' are more of a British and Commonwealth thing, but again the system has changed often and inconsistently - you could have a Tank, Cruiser, Mark VI, Crusader MkI, MkICS, MkII, MkIICS or MkIII! Webbing was always Pattern 1908/1937/1944/1958 until we sold out to acronyms with PLCE. You get the gist . . . The key to it all is the ordnance classification/categorisation of the kit. As an example, rifles and carbines are different beasts so you can have an Rifle M1 (Garand) and a Carbine M1, ditto the Medium Tank M60 and a Machine Gun M60. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pathy 0 Posted November 30, 2004 Quote[/b] ]Webbing was always Pattern 1908/1937/1944/1958 until we sold out to acronyms with PLCE. We still use "DPM '95" so its not entirely dead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACF 0 Posted December 1, 2004 Maybe - but I doubt the RLC would find it against that description! But I confess I don't know what its actual ordnance designation is. Recent developments have passed me by a bit but Soldier '95 was the whole personal clothing system and DPM is just the cam. Seems we went in for the Americanised (or should that be Americanized) with LAW80, SA80 etc. How long before we go the whole hog with Challenger 2010 SP2? Assuming we don't just buy Abrams . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pathy 0 Posted December 1, 2004 LAW 80.....80 stands for 80mm, lets you instantly know the cal, IMO its not a bad system of doing it. Sa80 is actually refering to years....small arms of the 80s......current army des is L85A2.....Land Service - 1985......see, its not dead! Well i think thats the system anyway.... AFAIK '95 is the whole system but everything within that is refered to as , eg, bergen '95, ect. And we would never buy Abrams....Chally 2 is a much better MBT. Â Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
