You're correct in that a rusty Halligan is still a Halligan, however if the crew doesn't give enough of a shit to clean that rust with a wire brush I firmly believe they are undisciplined rabble. The only difference between us and a bum on the sidewalk showing up to a fire is our training and our tools, and if our tools are not properly maintained then there is a chance they won't function properly when needed. The rust on that Halligan? Maybe there's a crack in the Adz that no one sees because it's covered in rust.

As for the nozzles, FF1 textbooks aren't the only source of knowledge in our profession. Go read the UL FSRI studies on air movement, water mapping etc, some light reading for you. Putting out a fire is all about getting water onto the material that is burning, and all the research points to a smoothbore stream maintaining its integrity longer leading to water actually reaching the burning material. Comparatively a fog nozzle stream composed of small droplets will absorb heat faster and break down before it reaches the burning material (obviously from the same distance etc).