Comments on: Russia's nuclear sledgehammers

By: Ryan Lenethen

Ryan Lenethen — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:42:00 +0000

Probably works better than the sickle would anyway…

By: Uwe von Kempen

Uwe von Kempen — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:07:00 +0000

I don’t think, that’s sooo easy to fire a missile. You must have the correct depth, open the hatches, power on the controls, charge the batteries, increase pressures, etc..
The correct codes are only a single step in a very long sequence. I guess it takes far more than half an hour of meticulous work of many people, if there is no preparation before.

Btw, can it be that this hammer is used more generally? If some other lock has to be opened, when the owner looses the keys somewhere? For example, if the key for the toilet-paper cabinet is broken, then use the “universal picklock”, which is also suitable for the safe with launch-codes.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:54:00 +0000

Does the hammer have a catchphrase?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7bdr6fjg-k

By: Preston Sturges

Preston Sturges — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 04:16:00 +0000

Well that answers the question “Does the hammer have a catchphrase?”

By: Preston Sturges

Preston Sturges — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 04:13:00 +0000

Precision is when you use the little hammer

By: Bilsko

Bilsko — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Sounds a lot like what we used to do with our own nuclear devices here in the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scram#Etymology

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 01:47:00 +0000

Either that or the hammer itself was radioactive, having been made from recycled Hot metal, just like we do with smoke detectors, etc

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 01:45:00 +0000

That’s precision engineering that is!

By: StCredZero

StCredZero — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:11:00 +0000

Sounds about right. I have heard and read a number of references to Russian T-34 tank drivers keeping hammers near the driver’s seat to operate their gearshifts.

By: Shinkuhadoken

Shinkuhadoken — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Sort of like administering rubbing alcohol before a lethal injection.

By: RayCornwall

RayCornwall — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Soviet Nuclear Sledgehammers is my new favorite potential punk band name.

By: Kimmo

Kimmo — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:25:00 +0000

It’s pretty damn macho.

By: David Lavictoire

David Lavictoire — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:04:00 +0000

You guys made me snopes that 00000000 launch code thing.

By: andygates

andygates — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 12:32:00 +0000

I was thinking the same. Soviet sledgehammers are too tough for prissy capitalist pig-dog moisturized hands!

By: asuffield

asuffield — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 12:21:00 +0000

That wasn’t about “not bothering”, it was about complying with the letter of the rules while firmly opposing their intent. The military did not want to have an authorization code, so they said “yes Mr President, we have installed an authorization code device” and used an insecure code.

By: AlexG55

AlexG55 — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:37:00 +0000

I imagine that the safe was built strongly enough that forcing your way in with a hammer would take a while and make a lot of noise, which would presumably bring someone to stop you if you weren’t supposed to be getting in there.

By: Tore Sinding Bekkedal

Tore Sinding Bekkedal — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:36:00 +0000

Observe the presence of a safe in the procedure in the US video.

By: Tore Sinding Bekkedal

Tore Sinding Bekkedal — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:29:00 +0000

It reminds me of the US practice of setting the launch codes to all zeros, which continued for many years. The personnel were simply not comfortable with the requirement for operating command and control.

By: Palomino

Palomino — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 07:29:00 +0000

‘Who holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of the atomic.”

Sweet. Goes along with my R.P.G weapon slant too.

By: Palomino

Palomino — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 07:24:00 +0000

That has got to be the coolest name for an RPG Weapon!

By: futnuh

futnuh — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 07:09:00 +0000

I dig that knurl.

By: SoItBegins

SoItBegins — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 06:43:00 +0000

And, the Army’s solution to that was to send around a questionnaire. It said:

> Have you seen Richard Feynman around your office?

If the recipients responded yes, they got a note saying,

> Change the combination to your safe.

Which kind of misses the point…

By: Evan Glass

Evan Glass — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 06:13:00 +0000

Ah yes I see what you did there, clever Thor reference.

By: pjcamp

pjcamp — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 06:11:00 +0000

Oh man! That is totally not what I thought when I read “nuclear sledgehammer.”

By: Ian Wood

Ian Wood — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:14:00 +0000

Just checking in–has anyone made the Yakov Joke? Ah, yes. Good. Carry on.

By: Dan Hibiki

Dan Hibiki — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 02:27:00 +0000

inscribed in small print on the sledge: Кто проводит этот молот, если он будет достоин, должен обладать силой атомный

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 01:47:00 +0000

You’re right, I should’ve said 50 million

By: Kimmo

Kimmo — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 01:09:00 +0000

If you’re that keen on the contents of somebody’s house, you can always drive a car into it…

What fuzzyfuzzyfungus said below.

By: CommieNeko

CommieNeko — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:02:00 +0000

“Will be getting that bay door open even if everyone on Bear Creek is hare lipped getting …”

By: hacky

hacky — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 23:05:00 +0000

http://cdn.randomfunnypicture.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/fixed-link-with-chain.jpg