US Gun trucks in Iraq

[GI-John]

Pretty neat bunch of pics showing all of the mods our troops have made to Humvees and 2.5/5 ton trucks to give better protection in convoys

http://community.webshots.com/album/124599660fVnKRb

 

[KY Chris]

Pretty neat bunch of pics showing all of the mods our troops have made to Humvees and 2.5/5 ton trucks to give better protection in convoys

http://community.webshots.com/album/124599660fVnKRb

Sweet! American ingenuity. Reminds me of the deuce and a half gun trucks in Vietnam my Dad told me about.

 

[Yucca-Man]

"Locally made armor" - somehow I see B.A. Baracas and the rest of the A-Team in a barn somewhere, with only a cutting torch and some steel sheets, always up-armoring their van...

 

[Faux4X4]

Now I can see why the price of a sheet of steel has doubled.

 

[Beezil]

Now I can see why the price of a sheet of steel has doubled.

huh?

 

[Glenn B]

Sheet Metal has exactly WHAT to do with that???

 

[CW]

That would make some good rock rash protection

 

[8Mud]

I guess gun trucks are better than nothing, but sure would like to see some more Armor in Iraq. Also did some tests, when I was in the military. To seperate fact, supposition and fiction from reality. 3/16" sheet steel, won´t stop a rifle round (7.62 MM), with any regularity.
Personally I´d retrofit some old M-60 tanks, with quad fifties or better yet a 20 MM chain gun. Tank is really the only thing that has a chance of surviving a decent size mine, IED, RPG, crew serve mortor or a 14.5 MM gun.
We ran road security with the old M-60, worked well and cost a whole lot less than an M-1. One M-1 has about the same price tag, as a platoon of M-60´s (Isreal still uses them).
Saw an M-60 run over a 500 lb. bomb set up as a mine, crew survived.

 

[Captain Ron]

I guess gun trucks are better than nothing, but sure would like to see some more Armor in Iraq. Also did some tests, when I was in the military. To seperate fact, supposition and fiction from reality. 3/16" sheet steel, won´t stop a rifle round (7.62 MM), with any regularity.
Personally I´d retrofit some old M-60 tanks, with quad fifties or better yet a 20 MM chain gun. Tank is really the only thing that has a chance of surviving a decent size mine, IED, RPG, crew serve mortor or a 14.5 MM gun.
We ran road security with the old M-60, worked well and cost a whole lot less than an M-1. One M-1 has about the same price tag, as a platoon of M-60´s (Isreal still uses them).
Saw an M-60 run over a 500 lb. bomb set up as a mine, crew survived.

My son Chris is in a SBCT (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), He has been hit 15 times with RPG/RKG's... No damage to the hull. He says with IED's it depends...

GI-John,

Bravo on the mods! In the north, he's seen a few trucks like yours with 50's. Being able to respond with something better than light weapons has got to be some comfort. Keep the Faith!

Not exactly 4 wheeling, but you work with what you got.

--ron

 

[8Mud]

Heard tell. the stand off cages on the light armor, worked well. Messes up the stand off required, for the shaped charge, in the head of an RPG.
An RPG can, punch a hole in a tank, if it hits just in the right spot. One of the reasons, they put the skirts on the newer tanks.
Guess I´m kind of a hand wringer, but crindge, when I see the guys and gals, using fairly light skinned vehicles as armor.
Guess times have changed. Maybe I´ll always have an Armored Cav. mentality.

 

[PlainWhiteXJ]

I guess gun trucks are better than nothing, but sure would like to see some more Armor in Iraq. Also did some tests, when I was in the military. To seperate fact, supposition and fiction from reality. 3/16" sheet steel, won´t stop a rifle round (7.62 MM), with any regularity.
Personally I´d retrofit some old M-60 tanks, with quad fifties or better yet a 20 MM chain gun. Tank is really the only thing that has a chance of surviving a decent size mine, IED, RPG, crew serve mortor or a 14.5 MM gun.
We ran road security with the old M-60, worked well and cost a whole lot less than an M-1. One M-1 has about the same price tag, as a platoon of M-60´s (Isreal still uses them).
Saw an M-60 run over a 500 lb. bomb set up as a mine, crew survived.

Tested 7 gauge (3/16) stainless sheet at about 5 yards, hung so it could swing. 22LR, indistinquishable smear. .38 SWC, 9mm FMJ, slightly more. .41 Manglum, 210 JHP, dent. 12 gauge slug, tore through, but slug left embedded in flap. Restrained sheet (like rigidly attched to something) would probabaly not fare as well.

I agree that a rifle, especially a real rifle, or close, would probabaly punch through.

 

[8Mud]

Got together with a detachment at Bad Tolz (way back when). I was sent down there as an Armor specilist. Best ways to do hasty demolition on various kinds of Armor. Ways to make U.S. equipement, usless for anybody.
Fired most every kind of pistol and rifle at various thicknesses of sheet steel. And at various types of light skinned vehicles. Results where enlightening. Like you mentioned, at close range, a shotgun slug is pretty reliable, right through (side to side) a normal car. Most every pistol round, even the magnums, were kind of a disapointment. Full caliber, full jacketed rifle rounds, usually did OK in penitration. Used MM measurements, but the gist of it was 1/4" and even 5/16" sheet steel was an iffy thing, when counted on, to stop a rifle round. 44-40 stainless, worked pretty well in most cases, much better than normal sheet steel. Cast iron was also a pleasant surprise (though spaling was a problem).
A FEW LAYERS OF THINNER MATERIAL (with a little air space between layers); WORKED BETTER THAN ONE THICKER LAYER. If anybody is interested.
Had some 16" thick armor plate, we fired everything from, tank fired tungsten penitrators, through RPG 7´s, to B-10 rockets at. Really had some fun. Guys at the detachment, would show some amazing penetration, with amazingly small amounts of C-4, if the charges were set just right.
Had an old 2 1/2 ton truck, we fired a couple of thousand rounds of 7.62 MM ammo at, while it was slowly driving itself across the range. Sucker never did stop running, though all the tires were flat and the motor was running on a couple of cylinders. I was impressed.