Bernie can go out smiling.

[Vern Humphrey]

VA gave me 40% disability for my blown ear drums from gun and cannon fire, and 10% because two hernias I got during my service Time. It was perfect timing as my money market cert. ran out at the same time the VA approved the payments..I never applied for the VA money before until the def.comp was ending even though although I could of had many years before. I Felt there were vets that needed it more. but after the comp ran out, I also needed it and finally applied for it....

I ran over an anti-tank mine, and it was three days before I got to an aid station (company commanders can't just pick up and go) They gave me pills and sent me back, and it healed on itself -- insofar as a ruptured ear drum ever heals,

[togor]

VA gave me 40% disability for my blown ear drums from gun and cannon fire, and 10% because two hernias I got during my service Time. It was perfect timing as my money market cert. ran out at the same time the VA approved the payments..I never applied for the VA money before until the def.comp was ending even though although I could of had many years before. I Felt there were vets that needed it more. but after the comp ran out, I also needed it and finally applied for it....

And old friend saying "hello", Ray. Did you miss him?

[dryheat]

Holy Cats. I never really understood the workings of the recoilless. That's a rocket launcher. So is the M72. If you fire one inside a building it definitely blows the windows out. I've never been around any of that kind of stuff.

[S.A. Boggs]

I ran over an anti-tank mine, and it was three days before I got to an aid station (company commanders can't just pick up and go) They gave me pills and sent me back, and it healed on itself -- insofar as a ruptured ear drum ever heals,

M113?
Sam

[togor]

Holy Cats. I never really understood the workings of the recoilless. That's a rocket launcher. So is the M72. If you fire one inside a building it definitely blows the windows out. I've never been around any of that kind of stuff.

Yeah you could almost shoot the thing backwards for close defense.

[rayg]

Yes Togor thanks..when I was in the infantry in 1956-57, that was one of the weapons that blew out my ears real bad. When I fired that thing, the concussion and pain to my ears was just terrific! My ear even bled a little after firing it. That and setting up my 30 machine gun too close to a tank when it fired it's 90mm. Stupid me, the concussion blew my helmet off..
I probably told this story before but, there were two small guys, probably 5'7" each, and about a little over 120 lbs, from Tenn, they were both cousins. Each carried them in the heavy weapons platoon. They would out march every one with those things on their shoulders.

[Roadkingtrax]

I've often wondered why the smallest guys were always given the responsibility of machine gunner in the platoon.

[Vern Humphrey]

Holy Cats. I never really understood the workings of the recoilless. That's a rocket launcher. So is the M72. If you fire one inside a building it definitely blows the windows out. I've never been around any of that kind of stuff.

A recoilless rifle is not a rocket launcher. It works like an ordinary gun, but with an open breech -- so the force of recoil is balanced by whatever is shot out the breech. Some versions used water or buckshot, but all the American (and most modern foreign) recoilless rifles used simply gas.

The key is in a recoilless rifle all the propellent is burned in the breech. In a rocket -- like the M72, the propellent travels along with the projectile, burning as it goes

[lyman]

A recoilless rifle is not a rocket launcher. It works like an ordinary gun, but with an open breech -- so the force of recoil is balanced by whatever is shot out the breech. Some versions used water or buckshot, but all the American (and most modern foreign) recoilless rifles used simply gas.

The key is in a recoilless rifle all the propellent is burned in the breech. In a rocket -- like the M72, the propellent travels along with the projectile, burning as it goes

yep,

the brass casing is vented, as in drilled with holes, and the propellant charge is inside a cellulose bag

the chamber/breech is designed so it vents to offset the recoil,


made in various calibers, I have a handful of inert shells in my shop on display,