H/T to 1stCav for sending me the link. Due to improvements in barrel design, and the metallurgy used in the re-design, the M60 has once again proven itself to be one of the best weapons out there. They’ve always been reliable, but this is really something to see.

They clipped 850 rounds together and ran them all down the tube in one burst. Yikes! You can bet that was one hot SB. What do you mean soldier that you can see the rounds in the barrel? Only if it gets hot enough Sir………………………

Click on the pic to go to fugly.com and watch the video.

I had two of them issued to me at one point, but the M-79 in the picture left me a little blue. I had to destroy it.
Link here for the picture at:

Fractured Fairy Tales

We were wasting ammo (rotating stock) in the old rock quarry on a nice sunny afternoon and I was using the 40mm grenades (HE) to take a tree down. I squeezed off a round and it went poof, but nothing came out the other end. The round seized in the barrel. So much for old ordnance.

I disposed of the barrel and errant round with a bit of C-4 after salvaging the trigger housing and sights. That was just after a 2nd Lt. suggested we sand bag it and try to shove the round back out of the barrel to salvage the weapon. He was one of those people that would be missing a lot of fingers if they had anything to do with it in the first place. Sheesh……….

Great news folks. Mad815 registered today and is one of the gunners in the picture of “Wild Thing” that Okie provided HERE. Working the rock quarries off compound was a lot safer thanks to these guy’s. Stray bullets, dynamite, and blasting caps just didn’t mix very well.

That makes four of us now that spent time together at Camp Dillard and have managed to hookup thanks to the Internet.

Merry Christmas and thanks for the gift that keeps on giving Mad815. Come to think of it, you may be responsible for me still being here in the first place. Welcome home Brother Deuce!

Mad815 sent me this picture of “Wild Thing” in it’s current re-incarnation. Heh, I didn’t realize it would actually follow me home. For the big picture just click on the image below.

I had the distinct pleasure of watching these guy’s using the Minigun. It’s a sound you’ll never forget, and won’t hear if you happen to be on the receiving end.

Here’s a video of one firing at about 3000 RPM if I’m hearing it right. Click on the YouTube button. The music track is just a bonus…..

I also would like to welcome Dick Bowman to the blogroll. He’s got a website dedicated to the 815th that chronicles the history of the unit and keeps tab’s on those of us that served with it. Nice job on his part.

Check it out HERE or click on the sidebar button in the left column.

Thanks Web!/Exspider/out/log on fire.

I’m fortunate in having had the opportunity to use some of the best of our military small arms and other assorted hardware. The good old M2 50 cal. is a fine example IMO. As a matter of fact I’ve got a picture around here someplace of a quad setup firing. Hmm… Now where did I put that?
Anyhow, check out the following videos if you are so inclined. If not, please ignore my self-indulgence. I’ll try not to bore you in the future.

Machine Gun Alley: You’d probably have to be there to really enjoy this one.

This is how it works.

I found the “quad” 50 Cal. pic by the way.

Fighting wars is serious business folks and it requires the proper tools, but it can’t be done without the human element becoming involved at some point. That’s the real problem, and one that can’t be avoided. You either win or you lose in the long run now don’t you?

Heh, my dreams alone would scare most people to death. That’s the real difference between Illusion and Reality.

The MK 19 belt fed 40 mm grenade launcher rocks also.

Video Here

Wikipedia

Terrorists Mortar Explodes Pre-Maturely

Heh, it’s not every day you get to see a 60mm mortar round go off in the tube. I liked that one. I still haven’t managed to get the LiveLeak videos to embed so just follow the link. It’s short (only 5 sec.), so be quick to check it out.

Bad things can happen with old ordnance once in a while. The M-79 in the picture gave me quite the scare. We would take the gun trucks and misc. weapons to the old rock quarry across from Camp Dillard on Sundays, use up some ammo, test fire weapons, and have a good time. I fired several HE rounds from this M-79, and then it went “poof” when I fired it, and the round didn’t come out the other end. I removed the sights and trigger housing and used a chunk of C-4 and some sand bags to make sure it would no longer be a problem.

H

You can’t imagine how good it is to hear from these guys. Okie put me in contact with another Deuce brother recently. Pelk has been in touch via email and jogging my memory for me also. His last tour in Vietnam ended when his deuce and a half took a B/44 rocket hit on QL-20. We both did drilling and blasting work in the rock quarries and we knew a lot of the same people.

Welcome home brother Deuce!

Pelk is the man on the left side of the picture next to and behind the guy with the mine sweeper, weapon at the ready and on the ball. I like that attitude. It keeps you alive….

First just let me say thanks to all of you that have stuck with me over the past couple of years, and for being the good friends that you are. I won’t elaborate and make a short story long, you know who you are. You know the rest of the story because you were there in the first place. Let’s just say that you’re one hell of a crew. You know, one of those deals that work for America rather than against it.

Anyhow, thanks for the breath of fresh air. It’s been hot around these parts (100 deg) lately and not a very conducive climate to wood cutting, but you learn to live with it after awhile. Basically you sweat now to stay warm later. I like that concept. It works every time.
I’ve been cutting some wood, (5 Hickory, and 2 big red oaks) in the cemetery where my dad and his dad are buried for the last 3 days. The slots are all filled and they’re expanding the grounds to accommodate the rest of us. Cool beans! At least I got dibs on the wood that once would’ve shaded my future grave. I’ll be sure to make good use of those carbon credits next winter with no thanks to Al Gore. I’ll cut my own wood and don’t need any clowns to help me stack it.

Blast from the past:

I recently (thanks to the Internet and friends), have come into contact with some others that saw the same part of the world that I did (Camp Dillard, Central Highlands,S. Vietnam) and would like to give them a H/T now.

Thanks Okie, You made my day a good one for me my brother…. Some things are best not forgotten and I thank you for the pictures and memories of days long past. You’re a good man to have on the team and I’m here to prove it because of people like you. Nice job Frank! Welcome Home and thanks for being there in the first place……

Okie’s pictures: The banana trees were nice and in my back yard. The gun truck was called “The Wild Thing”.

JB/OUT/stacking carbon credits (wood) and other stuff. We can burn BUNK when we run out of real fuel, (Al Gore) but it’s all the same in the long run. Nothing in, nothing out