Condoms Used to Keep Gulf Guns Clean
British sailors on warships in the Persian Gulf are using condoms to stop wind-blown sand from drifting down the muzzles of anti-aircraft guns.
The latex condoms are “a perfect fit” for 7.26-millimeter machine-guns, said Captain Peter Nelson of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Fort Grange. But they have to be blown up and stretched for the 20-millimeter Oerlikon cannon, which are his supply ship’s other armament.
A pool dispatch filed today from the Fort Grange said that, even at sea, desert sand can filter into guns, melting into glass-like silica and jamming the mechanisms.
Condoms are supplied free to Britain’s gulf forces by a manufacturer.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
