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Gunner Zen

By The Armorer on September 25, 2009 | | Comments (6)
Good work if you can get it...

US Army Spc. Seth Mulcahy, left, along with Spc. Robert Mason, right, and Spc. Richard McNulty, center, load a 155 mm howitzer on Camp Wright, Afghanistan, Sept. 23, 2009. Mulcahy, Mason and McNulty are assigned to Battery C, 1st Battalion, 321 Airborne Field Artillery Regiment. The team fired the weapon as part of a registration mission where targets are pre-marked to increase speed and accuracy. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert

US Army Spc. Seth Mulcahy, left, along with Spc. Robert Mason, right, and Spc. Richard McNulty, center, load a 155 mm howitzer on Camp Wright, Afghanistan, Sept. 23, 2009. Mulcahy, Mason and McNulty are assigned to Battery C, 1st Battalion, 321 Airborne Field Artillery Regiment. The team fired the weapon as part of a registration mission where targets are pre-marked to increase speed and accuracy. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert


DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah (Sept. 16, 2009) The Office of Naval Research's Advanced Gun Barrel Technology Program demonstrates a new coating to extend 155-mm barrel life during a test demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. (U.S. Navy photo by Ken Tillges)

DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah (Sept. 16, 2009) The Office of Naval Research's Advanced Gun Barrel Technology Program demonstrates a new coating to extend 155-mm barrel life during a test demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. (U.S. Navy photo by Ken Tillges)

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6 Comments

By fdcol63 on September 25, 2009 2:05 PM
Having humped a few of these things myself, I'd have to say that I'm impressed with SPC McNulty's right hand grip on that 155 round.
 
By fdcol63 on September 25, 2009 2:09 PM
Sorry .... SPC Mulcahy's right hand grip.
 
By SezaGeoff on September 25, 2009 8:34 PM
i've always wondered about loading separate ammunition.  When the barrel is at such an angle, do you throw the shell up so hard that the driving band wedges in the lands and holds it there while the charge is loaded?  I'd hate to have it drop back out.
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 25, 2009 9:41 PM
Geoff - just out of the picture to the left I'm sure are the rest of the gun crew holding the curved rammer staff peculiar to the M777.  Specialist Mulcahy is going to pop that 'jo in there with enough oomph to cause the bronze of the rotating band to partially engage and engrave the rotating band, and as soon as his hand is clear, the rammer is going in the breech to fully-seat the round.

I'll find a video for you tomorrow (it's late and I'm going to bed right now...)
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on September 25, 2009 10:15 PM
 SPC Mulcahy: BMI, weight reduction; my ass!

Cheers
 
By BillT on September 26, 2009 4:06 AM
The Office of Naval Research's Advanced Gun Barrel Technology Program demonstrates a new coating to extend 155-mm barrel life during a test demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.

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