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something to spice you all up a bit!

GAU 8 necked down to 25mm

Here we are chaps!
i was going to wind you all up next April 1st and say i found all this lot at a carboot sale or an antique shop!:xd:
Well old waffy aint that rotten with his pals in BOCN.
These are a few rounds from my mates collection i was looking at today and thought i would picture them for your perusal!

What can you tell me about them please?
best

waff


Hi Waff, just a bit of information on the GAU 8 that has been necked down to 25mm (first photo, right hand round):

When the GAU 7 CTA round failed there was still interest in a gun (and round of ammunition) that could fire 3,000 grain 25mm shells at a muzzle velocity of 4,000 fps. GAU 8 cases were shortened and necked to 25mm and GAU 7 projectiles fitted. At least 2 different length rounds were produced, one with a 6 inch case and a 10.1 inch overall length and the other with a 5.65 inch long case and a 9.75 overall length. Both rounds were capable of 4,000 fps muzzle velocity matching the GAU 7.

Dave.
 
Super info! Thanks Dave.
The GAU-8,isnt that from that whacking great gun on the front of an A-10 Fairchild Thunderbolt(Warthog)?

cheers

waff
 
Here is a video of Test Firing the GAU 8

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWAaZnALTYc[/ame]
 
Awesome footage! Thanks for the link.
I remember watching footage on telly during Gulf war 2 when the warthogs were strafing the government buildings in Baghdad.
I was stood right up to the big screen in the pub with my jaw open loving the sounds and sights the guns were making!:xd:
Bit of a war mongerer me you know,i enjoyed all the lot.


best

waff
 
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.50 North. 4th photo, round on the left.

Here we are chaps!
i was going to wind you all up next April 1st and say i found all this lot at a carboot sale or an antique shop!:xd:
Well old waffy aint that rotten with his pals in BOCN.
These are a few rounds from my mates collection i was looking at today and thought i would picture them for your perusal!

What can you tell me about them please?
best

waff


Hi Waff, just a bit more information on the left hand round in your 4th photo. It looks like a .50 North.

The .50 North is an experimental cartridge made by Kynoch in about 1901.

The semi-rimmed bottlenecked brass case takes a round-nosed bullet with a lead core and a cupro-nickel washed steel bullet that is 54.7mm long.

Bullet diameter is 12.94mm
Base diameter is 25.03mm
Case length is 109.3mm
Total length is 144.1mm

Hope this helps.

Dave.
 
As far as I know no details of the gun have survived. It obviously wasn't succesful as it was never developed further.
 
More information on the Davy Crockett weapons system.

Here's a bit more information on the Davy Crockett.
Dave.

Davy Crockett weapons system.


Main weapon.

The Davy Crockett weapons system was designated for deployment in the U.S. infantry and Armour units.

The system was designated the XM 28. It was mounted on a jeep or ground tripod mounted.

The development of the system began in March 1958. Engineering tests were conducted in 1960 and 1961 with service tests and unit training beginning in October 1961
It is not known when it was taken out of service but with a range of only 2000 meters it was never the favourite weapon in the tactical arsenal for deployment of a nuclear warhead!!



20mm spotting rifle and 20x125 round.

The XM28 used an attached 20mm spotting rifle.

The 20mm spotting rifle was designated the XM69. It fired the XM101 20mm spotter cartridge with the XM538 series electrical fuze.

The ammunition used the hi-lo pressure design principle, with the propellant being contained in a small chamber at the base of the cartridge case. The primer initiates the propellant in the small chamber, the hi pressure portion on firing. The pressure is released through a series of small holes, in a metered fashion into the main empty chamber of the cartridge case, the lo pressure part at about 15,000 psi.

The finned projectile for the XM101 had a body made of either steel or depleted uranium with aluminium fins. The driving band was plastic.
 
37 X 303/R Davy Crockett spotter case.

I've only got the case for this but it gives you a general idea of the big brother of the 20mm Davy Crockett spotter round, shown next to one of the experimental 20mm cases for scale. Its the 37 X 303/R case.

I've taken a photo of the inside to show the "pepper pot top" type holes for the hi/lo pressure operation (as described in the post above).

Its made out of steel and is very heavy for its size.

Dave.
 

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Davy Crockett drill round.

Attached is a photograph of a Davy Crockett drill round, its a bit rough but until I get a better one it'll have to do.

Dave.
 

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nice ammo

Well Waff, I can't tell you a thing about that ammo except for the fact that I really like it. I'm getting sidetracked off of WW1 again as I feel a bout of "ammo sickness" coming on (usually happens when I see really cool stuff that I don't collect persay, but really WANT). Dano
 
Back to the drawing board !

If the old memory serves me correctly the first photo with the 30mm GAU 8 case necked down to 25mm is a PJU 16B Practice round which was a test round/contender for the GAU 8 Gatling gun project!
It lost as the cases were very prone to welding into the chamber due to the extreme pressures involved and the coating used was insufficient to prevent sticking.

Lovely rounds though.
 
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