Saw some neat guns today

[Classicvette63]

The corvette club was invited over to the mayor of lancaster's place today. The mayor has one of the largets collectons of cannons and gatling guns around. So a few times a year a bunch of people into cannnons and such gather there and have some fun.

The main target was a chevy blazer. From about 200yds the blazer took a cannon ball head on right into the front bumper. That ball shattered the block, entered the passenger compartment and took off the tailgate on it's way out.:eek: Simply unbelievable.

The gatling guns were neat too. They turned the blazer into swiss chesse eventually igniting what little gas was left in the tank. Some were actual original from back in the civil war days.

By far the neatest gun there was a GE Vulcan. 10,000 (yep a "1" with FOUR zeroes) rounds a minute up close is the definition of awesome. I don't think I could pour empties out of a bucket as fast as they were coming out of that thing. It didn't even really sound like a gun. It was the same type of gun the Jesse Ventura had in the movie "Predator". To debunk a hollywood myth, there is NO WAY one guy could carry that gun, ammo and batteries. It's simply not possible.

I wonder if the bank would loan me $50,000 to buy one and enough ammo to last a weekend.:D

[Rocky Raab]

You're right: the Vulcan doesn't sound like a gun at all. The shots are too close togther to sound like "bang bang bang bang"

It's more of a "Brauauauauauauauauauauaup" sound. And you are right about those empties! More like a firehose spitting brass.

I've been right between two of them firing out the side of an AC-130 gunship. Awesome.

It's even more awesome (and awful) on the other end. You do not hear the muzzle blast at all. The ground suddenly acts like it's erupting in flame, white-hot sparks and a strange ripping sound. Truly it's like the earth itself vomiting fire. And when that stops, you hear a faroff and ghostly "oooooooooooop" grunt that is the muzzle blast finally reaching you. But that sounds like the moan of hell itself coming from the pitch-black sky. It makes your very bones go to jelly to hear it.

[fishnfrank]

I know exactly what your talking about Rocky. I am in the Air Force and I work the 130's on Hurlbuft Field. I mainly work the MC130H Combat Talon II's and the gunships on occasion, but they are something else. That 105mm howitzer is pretty cool too.

[Rocky Raab]

I almost consider Hurlburt to be my second home. Went through AGOS and FAC training there, and did Reserve duty at Eglin main for a decade.

I used to be able to cadge rides on the old A models when they came down to Patrick. The biggest gun on those was the Bofors 40mm twin mount. They'd hammer a hard target pretty good (and are also a hoot to watch in operation!) but for real saturation of targets like a column of trucks, the twin Vulcans were peaches 'n cream, brother.

A good pilot/crew could smoke the lead truck and then quickly do the same to the last one. With the column blocked, it was like writing your name in the snow for the trucks in between. Whoooeeee!