History 08/02/20 Boiled cartridges: why they sold to the Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan
Many believe that the cooked ammo is just an army bike. However, the Soviet soldiers really brewed ammo, but not for themselves but for sale. The other thing is that the effectiveness of such ammunition still raises more questions than answers.
What to trade in Afghanistan?
On trade, which was developed in Afghanistan with the arrival of Soviet troops, mentioned in his memoirs, the majority of participants of the conflict. So, the military interpreter, Andrey Greshnov in the book “Afghanistan: hostages of time” writes that representatives of the army high command handed over to Afghan dukani (outlets) anything that caused the slightest interest from the local population: military ammunition, blankets, sheets, food. Especially appreciated the stew, which consisted solely of pure meat, with no fat. According to Greshnova, it is because stew and other food to sell, local soldiers often went hungry.
Indeed, if you believe the military historian Michael Jirkova, food to soldiers is not reached often. The book “the Dangerous skies of Afghanistan” Zhirokhov says that cars destined for the army were detained at a checkpoint in the village Barracks. Was there a makeshift Bazaar where they sold or exchanged at a local vodka, called “Cismichioi”, food, soap, medicine, fuel and ammunition. Not surprisingly, sales of the latter, that is, weapons and ammunition, did not disdain ordinary Soviet soldiers.
“the Recipe” cooked rounds
However, before to carry ammunition to doujinshika, soldiers are subjected to special heat treatment. The ammunition is simply placed in a container (bucket, bowl or pot) and cooked, the Gulf plain water for two to three hoursV. the Same “recipe” for making boiled the cartridges are given on the pages of the historical-journalistic almanac “Lubyanka” in 2007. Yes, and Svetlana Alexievich in his documentary book “Zinc boys”, dedicated to the Afghan war, described this method of handling ammunition. Only after cooking the rounds went into the hands of local residents. And there were my reasons.
the Interlocutors of the same Svetlana Aleksievich argued that the cooked ammo had already been on what is not: they flew from the barrel, and “spit out”. It is clear that all ammunition sold to the merchants in turn were purchased by the Mujahideen. And as the Soviet army was fighting against the “spooks”, it would be foolish to provide his enemies a serviceable weapon and bullets. Heat treatment rounds the soldiers secured the relative safety: at least they hoped not to die from their own bullets.
was or Was not?
meanwhile, many believe that the loss of the combat capability of the cooked ammo is regular army bike. Thus, the authors of the “Dictionary of missile and artillery terms” Bogatsky, A. P., F. S. Kuznetsov, A. F. Shapovalov reported that heat treatment could work only for cartridges used in the past. The fact that the cartridges contain dangerous mercury that, according to A. D. Yakhontov in the publication “Courses of explosives”, it has hygroscopicity, and therefore the mercury capsules should be stored in a dry place. In addition, according to Vladimir Andreev and the other authors of the book “Explosive substances” dangerous mercury starts to decompose already at a temperature of 90-95 C.
Thus for the mercury capsules boiling could really prove to be effective. But modern cartridges to heat treatment can remain indifferent. However, the history of baked rounds that Soviet soldiers sold in Afghanistan, should not be considered as myths: too often they mention in their books those who had a chance to visit thiswar. For example, John Stelmach, the winner of the Afghan order of Glory, knight of two orders of the red Star and the Afghan medal “For distinction in guarding the border”, told not only about the sale of hygiene products and medicines, but also on trade boiled bullets to the author of the book “KGB in Afghanistan” Larissa Kucerova.
Yulia Popova
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© Russian Seven
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