The Best That Never Was 2 (Prototypes)

[WallShadow]

ArmySGT, is that a country cousin/nephew of the Mk 18 Honeywell hand-cranked 40mm GL of the 'Nam era?

[Draq]

This doesn't exactly belong, but I figured you guys might be interested, and Paul might want to add it to his page.
https://youtu.be/iQxwVY7ziKs part 1
There are 5, each about an hour long, and pretty technical. It's the... 'reproduction/redesigned from the ground up/modernized' stg-44 with caliber interchangeability: 5.56,7.62x39,.300 blackout, and the original 8mm kurz

[The Dark]

Poking around on Paul's site (because what else am I going to do on a Thursday night? ), I noticed that the XM8 entry in Best Assault Rifles That Never Were has the Carbine, Compact Carbine, and Designated Marksman variants, but not the Automatic Rifle. That variant had a heavy 20" barrel and could use a 100-round drum magazine for sustained fire. It also had a bipod (per HK Systems, the 12.5" and 20" barrels had bayonet lugs and only the 20" barrels had a bipod interface). It appears to be a different 20" barrel than the DMAR, based on the venting at the end of the barrel.

HK Systems also listed a 10 round magazine that isn't in the BARTNW entry. That seems a bit small to me, but maybe there'd be a use for it that's not immediately obvious.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

ArmySGT, is that a country cousin/nephew of the Mk 18 Honeywell hand-cranked 40mm GL of the 'Nam era?

Sorry, just saw this today.

No, that Rube Goldberg contraption was followed by the XM174E3 a belt fed 40mm that uses the same ammunition as the M79/M203. The ammunition is loaded into 12 round belts. Then along came them MK19 another belt fed grenade launher also designated a grenade machine gun for its rate of fire. The MK19 uses ammunition with a longer ase and more propellant which would destroy a M79/M203 if a person were to attempt firing through them this high velocity 40mm.

[Draq]

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Sorry, just saw this today.

No, that Rube Goldberg contraption was followed by the XM174E3 a belt fed 40mm that uses the same ammunition as the M79/M203. The ammunition is loaded into 12 round belts. Then along came them MK19 another belt fed grenade launher also designated a grenade machine gun for its rate of fire. The MK19 uses ammunition with a longer ase and more propellant which would destroy a M79/M203 if a person were to attempt firing through them this high velocity 40mm.

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High velocity qnd low velocity 40mm grenade shells. An important distinction to make. It's much the same as .44 special/.38speciql vs their Magnum versions.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by Draq

High velocity qnd low velocity 40mm grenade shells. An important distinction to make. It's much the same as .44 special/.38speciql vs their Magnum versions.

Fortunately revolvers have forcing cones and one is not able to load .44 magnum in a .44 special revolver, same as .357 into a .38. While the reverse is true for specials into magnums that is not true of the Mk19. That ammunition is arrives belted. Even loading a round only separates a link from the next without removing the link from the case unlike MGs or autocannon. One is not able to load regular 40mm for the M203/M320/M79 into a Mk19 and get same to fire.

[Draq]

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Fortunately revolvers have forcing cones and one is not able to load .44 magnum in a .44 special revolver, same as .357 into a .38. While the reverse is true for specials into magnums that is not true of the Mk19. That ammunition is arrives belted. Even loading a round only separates a link from the next without removing the link from the case unlike MGs or autocannon. One is not able to load regular 40mm for the M203/M320/M79 into a Mk19 and get same to fire.

Touche

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by Draq

Touche

Wasn't meant as a snarky reply.

Some persons have never had their hands upon the tremendous and odious fecal sample that spawned from the most diseased recesses of the Naval weapons design bureaus bowels called the Mk19 Mod 3.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

ArmySGT, is that a country cousin/nephew of the Mk 18 Honeywell hand-cranked 40mm GL of the 'Nam era?

I have that on my site, under US GL. It took a bit of thinking on how to simulate hand-cranking.

[Draq]

https://youtu.be/FuZmAtrRsN0 and now for a classic t2k weapon... The m231 fpw. a visual supplement to Paul's article

[The Dark]

I just ran across a reference today to an air defense vehicle I hadn't previously heard about, the Liberty I and II. Both were M1A1 Abrams derivatives, the Liberty I carrying a pair of .50 cal MGs and either 6 Shahine or 12 VT-1 (Crotale NG) missiles, while the Liberty II had a pair of 25mm Bushmasters and 12 VT-1 missiles. They were one of the losing entries in the the LOS-F-H (Line Of Sight, Forward, Heavy) part of the FAADS (Forward Area Air Defense System) program, intended to replaced the DIVAD/Sgt. York.

The LOS-F-H competition ended up being won by the ADATS based on an M113A2 chassis, which was canceled after the end of the Cold War without its inability to operate in inclement weather being corrected.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by The Dark

I just ran across a reference today to an air defense vehicle I hadn't previously heard about, the Liberty I and II. Both were M1A1 Abrams derivatives, the Liberty I carrying a pair of .50 cal MGs and either 6 Shahine or 12 VT-1 (Crotale NG) missiles, while the Liberty II had a pair of 25mm Bushmasters and 12 VT-1 missiles. They were one of the losing entries in the the LOS-F-H (Line Of Sight, Forward, Heavy) part of the FAADS (Forward Area Air Defense System) program, intended to replaced the DIVAD/Sgt. York.

The LOS-F-H competition ended up being won by the ADATS based on an M113A2 chassis, which was canceled after the end of the Cold War without its inability to operate in inclement weather being corrected.

You have any links? Sounds interesting to stat. I'm coming up blank on Bing.

[The Dark]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

You have any links? Sounds interesting to stat. I'm coming up blank on Bing.

I pieced it together from reading a few sites/forum threads elsewhere:
Secret Projects
Imgur pictures of Abrams mock-ups, including Liberty II
Article on Shahine missiles that describes the Liberty proposal, including basic technical information on its radar

[James Langham]

How much interest would there be in an article on the FV499 Hover APC mentioned above?

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by The Dark

I pieced it together from reading a few sites/forum threads elsewhere:
Secret Projects
Imgur pictures of Abrams mock-ups, including Liberty II
Article on Shahine missiles that describes the Liberty proposal, including basic technical information on its radar

I've seen that vehicle before! I wonder if I have it in one of my books or old Jane's...

[Draq]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

I have that on my site, under US GL. It took a bit of thinking on how to simulate hand-cranking.

https://youtu.be/09RKpXYuxyQ speak of the devil...