Viet Nam tunnel rats, silencer equipped revolvers

UncleEd · Aug 24, 2016

If this has been covered, I apologize.

Recently I was reviewing pictures of tunnel rats in Viet Nam and noticed several pictures of "snubby" revolvers with silencers. I think Smith produced some with very close to no cylinder gaps.

And someone just told me a cartridge was developed with some sort of rubber sabot that helped "bridge" or stop the sound bleed from the cylinder gap.

With very little cylinder gap, the revolvers I think would be two or three shooters at most.

Anyone know the "real, true facts" about those revolvers or if they even worked very well?

ParadiseRoad · Aug 24, 2016

...I've heard they were more of a flash hider...to keep from being flash blinded down in the hole...

ParadiseRoad · Aug 24, 2016

Targets Guy · Aug 24, 2016

I don't know how they did it.

6518John · Aug 24, 2016

Amen to that Target's Guy. Notice they both have finger on trigger ready to shoot.

Farmer17 · Aug 24, 2016

Google Vietnam S&W M29 tunnel gun.

carpriver · Aug 24, 2016

never met a tunnel rat. I ve met a rat fink, a dirty rat, a lying rat. That's all I've got to add to the conversation.

shell627 · Aug 24, 2016

I could never understand how they could crawl and hunt in those tunnels.Their cajones would get in the way as large as they were.God Bless all who served.

franzas · Aug 24, 2016

Modern Firearms - QSPR silent revolver

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/250700-tunnel-guns-43rd-birthday.html

jeffsmith · Aug 24, 2016

I met one in College in the 80's

No Reason to Doubt him

He had the Physical Type and Temperament for it

carpriver said:
never met a tunnel rat. I ve met a rat fink, a dirty rat, a lying rat. That's all I've got to add to the conversation.

chud333 · Aug 24, 2016

Viet Nam is one little party i'm glad i missed by about 8 years.
Too Young....

Had i been in that mess i would have been sure to keep my weight
up as the smaller and newer guys were surely picked as "volunteers".

"Give the flashlight and gun to old so and so".
He's 155 soaking wet and 5'8"

Chuck

amazingflapjack · Aug 24, 2016

Had a friend that said his bunch blew assetaline gas, which is heavier than 02, into the hole with a fan and then shot a tracer in after it. No need to send anyone down.

handejector · Aug 24, 2016

chud333 said:
"Give the flashlight and gun to old so and so".
He's 155 soaking wet and 5'8"

Chuck

5'8" and 155????
That woulda been "the fat guy".

Believe it or not, I was the heaviest I'd ever been when I finished jump school- 173 lbs at 6'. I was 18. They do add muscle.

21 months later, coming back from Nam, I weighed 151. It wears ya down......

You would have to be behind me with a gun to get me in one of those tunnels.

Gulfecho · Aug 25, 2016

I have a great deal of respect for those fellows. Had I been drafted I would never have volunteered for such duty. But as a late teenager, I was wiry enough to blow insulation in attics in Phoenix at 140 degrees. One can not fathom what creatures that reside in that extreme environment. I could only imagine the fear of darkness and someone waiting to kill you in a confined space.

Whitwabit · Aug 25, 2016

most I talked to said they used grenade's to blow them up .. or poured gas down in the tunnels to deplete O2 not all squads had tunnel rats in them .. I know I sure wouldn't have wanted to do that job !! Though my job was in electronics so wouldn't have been out in the field .. My orders to go over were canceled in 71 just 2 weeks before I was suppose to go over as everything was winding down !!

They sent me to the top of the world instead for my last year ..

model70hunter · Aug 25, 2016

I know one rat. He is on the smaller side. He said he was the new guy, he did not get to participate in the vote, they turned him upside down and slid him into the tunnel with a 45. He sorta got to enjoy it.

He was also the appointed photog, got to carry a Cannon 35 MM camera too.

He took lots of pics.

Some guys had made necklaces and it was like notches on the old six shooter. Ears.
I've seen the pics, his necklace had many, many "notches".

There is an old Buck Owens song, Act naturally, when he went underground it wasn't an act, just natural.

robertrwalsh · Aug 25, 2016

The ammo was designated as QSP (quiet special purpose) .44 caliber. It was a buckshot loaded into a .44 mag case with what was essentially a very small condom. The gun had a barrel of about one inch. The condom kept down the muzzle flash and noise, and then sheared off when the cylinder rotated. Strangely enough as far as I can tell no federal law and no state law that I have ever seen addresses silenced ammunition. The one fellow I talked to who actually used the stuff in the tunnels said the silencing technique was actually rather effective.

vonn · Aug 25, 2016

Not many tunnels in the AO my unit was in but any bunker,or hides got concussion grenades and CS grenades before anyone went in. The CS usually got anyone inside out in a hurry,it is MEAN stuff. Handejector was accurate on the weight thing,don't remember any one that wasn't very skinny!

Donn · Aug 25, 2016

Was always relieved I was almost six foot with lineman's shoulders when in-country. They might've been small in stature, but the guys who crawled into those tunnels had ***** as big as church bells.

gjamison · Aug 25, 2016

There's a great read in the new Gun Collector Magazine on this very topic.

Viet Nam tunnel rats, silencer equipped revolvers

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