New Addition to My Dummy Round Collection

[Retired W4]

I found this 40mm dummy recently. It took me back to my early days in the UH-1B gun ship, firing the M-5 automatic grenade launcher. The M-5 sub-system held 85 rounds from a box in the cargo area, through a chute to a nose turret. I don't remember the cyclic rate but it was pretty slow. Of course the 40mm round was also fired from the M-79, by TRW and others, and the M-203, mounted under the M-16A2. The rifled barrel put a spin on the round that armed the centrifugal fuse. That was a necessity on the M-79/M-203 so it would travel several yards before arming so it would not explode on a tree close to the weapon operator. That feature made little difference fired from a UH-1 or AH-1G. There are several types of 40mm rounds but we used HE, pretty much exclusively.

Pictured next to a 50 cal. dummy.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My 40mm dummy round was for the M-5 and has a belt link still on it. The Guardsman that gave it to me said it was for testing the Huey feed mechanism.

Most of my ammo collection is live rounds. So, I have a 40mm white flare too.

Really wish I had a M-79 and a case of H.E. for traffic control!

Ivan

 

[Retired W4]

Saw an M-79 for sale at a local gun show a few years back. I can't remember what he wanted for it but I had to be helped back to my tables.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Saw an M-79 for sale at a local gun show a few years back. I can't remember what he wanted for it but I had to be helped back to my tables.

Around 1994 a rewelded /smooth bore 16+" was about $400 at OGCA, reloading kits ran about $3 a round + shot

Ivan