Largest / Most Powerful gun you've fired

[2000Z-71]

155mm howitzer - largest gun fired

M2 .50 cal - largest non-artillery piece fired

.50-140 Sharps - largest shoulder fired round

.375 H&H - largest recoiling round fired

500 S&W - largest handgun fired

 

[opoefc]

Many years ago, while attending the Artillery School at Ft. Sill, a group of us were hauled out to one of the ranges, where sat the biggest piece of ordnance the US Army ever had. A 240 mm "Big Annie" atomic cannon, which was demonstrated to us, using conventional ammo, of course, and we allowed to "pull the lanyard" which I vaguely recall was a lever, but that was over 50 yrs ago. It was on a flatbed type railroad car, and I think it's still there at the Artillery Museum at Ft.Sill. The barrel was very flexible, for an artillery piece, and was probably 30 ft. long made in what looked like sections. I forget the range but it was well over 100 miles.

 

[cAlvis]

I've fired a couple of different high powered rifles. But the gun with the most "kick" was an Ithica 12 ga. Boy, those babies don't take any of the recoil. They just put it right on your shoulder.

 

[roundgunner]

Well if we are going to count ones we were not hanging onto how about a 5” 54.

and for a little more range try Harpoon!

 

[riptrack44]

Winchester .458

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Originally posted by roundgunner:
Well if we are going to count ones we were not hanging onto how about a 5” 54.

and for a little more range try Harpoon!

Beautiful ship-what class is it?

 

[Wyo]

Well, OK, I didn't actually fire these, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!

 

[parallel]

20mm Mk16.

 

[CelticSire]

Originally posted by Andy Griffith:
Isn't there someone on here that was one of the gunners on a battleship?!?!

Does a call-for-fire mission from the USS New Jersey count?

 

[roundgunner]

Originally posted by CAJUNLAWYER:

Originally posted by roundgunner:
Well if we are going to count ones we were not hanging onto how about a 5” 54.

and for a little more range try Harpoon!

Beautiful ship-what class is it?

The first and last were Spruance class Destroyers (DD963). First commissioned about 1974 I think. I served on the USS Kinkaid DD-965 and USS Connolly DD-979 along with 2 other surface ships and a submarine when I wasn't playing guard /nursemaid to uncle Sams nukes.

 

[ChinaSeaSailor]

My all time favorite was my bow gun in Vietnam on my boat - My Favorite Twins:

 

[ErnieDeBord]

At night time........a 4" 44mag or a 500 S&W 8 3/8 mag aint no slouch when it comes to throwing a fireball......especially when fired off the porch

 

[mod34]

My friend and I cracked off two rounds a piece out of his Ruger #1 in .458 Rigby. After which his new nickname became Igor and mine became "Lefty"

 

[badwhale]

spit ball in a straw.

Will

 

[lebomm]

In the late 60s I was Senior Gunner on a 20mm Towed Vulcan. Probably fired around 10,000 rds through that roarin' ripsnorter! Most belts were 100% HEIT-SD. High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer, Self-Destruct. You could tear buildings down; bore tunnels in the jungle. Wowser !

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Largest caliber-50-140-700

Most powerful- my .458 Lott

Most recoil- I grew up hunting with an H&R Topper 12 ga. with 3" chamber. It weighed 5.5 lbs. With a 3" magnum shell it was pretty harsh, faster and heavier than my Lott.

Most powerful handgun- That's a toss-up between a .375JDJ, and my .475 Linebaugh, but the .475 has it beat hands down in the recoil department, and I would prefer it for killing power over the .375 JDJ. On paper the .375 might have more FP of energy, but that isn't what kills.

 

[Evil Dog]

An M-60 from the door of a helicopter... was fun at the time but that was in the mid-60's when I was still young and thought I was bullet proof.

 

[John Eilertson]

Handgun, a .454 Casull, long gun, either a .340 Weatherby, or my 3 1/2" Mossberg with 00 buck. Shoulder whompers, each. The SG was less fun than the rifle.

 

[LWCmdr45]

Bore size isn't that large (.303), but it's a bear to haul to the range!

Steve

 

[Dixiejack]

.50 cal. machine gun and a 106mm recoilless rifle.

Most powerful handgun was a T/C Contender in .30/30 cal.