czwicky@ub.d.umn.edu (craig zwicky) (06/14/89)
From: czwicky@ub.d.umn.edu (craig zwicky)
Someone around here had a BIG bullet on their desk. It was about 5"
long and said 20 MM DUMMY M5IAIEI and had a fair amount of "heft" to it.
I have read about how destructive 20 MM cannon could be to/on aircraft.
Now, my question is, is this similar to the cannon shells used in aircraft.
If so, I never realized how big they were and now I know why they could
cause such damage.
If not, what might it have been used for (even though this is a dummy,
but you know what I mean).
craig zwicky
czwicky@ub.d.umn.edu
Duluth, Minnhight@claire.uucp (John Hight) (06/16/89)
From: hight@claire.uucp (John Hight) >From: czwicky@ub.d.umn.edu (craig zwicky) > > Someone around here had a BIG bullet on their desk. It was about 5" >long and said 20 MM DUMMY M5IAIEI and had a fair amount of "heft" to it. > > I have read about how destructive 20 MM cannon could be to/on aircraft. >Now, my question is, is this similar to the cannon shells used in aircraft. Well, I'm not familiar with the designation M5IAIEI, but I know that 20MM cannons as well as the 40MM cannons and a 105MM Howitzer were employed on the AC-130 during the Vietnam conflict. (My father flew one of these out of Ubon, Thailand, up and down the Ho Chi Minh Trail). John Hight SRI International hight@sri.com
dkrause@ORION.CF.UCI.EDU (Doug Krause) (06/20/89)
From: Doug Krause <dkrause@ORION.CF.UCI.EDU> In article <7444@cbnews.ATT.COM> czwicky@ub.d.umn.edu (craig zwicky) writes: > Someone around here had a BIG bullet on their desk. It was about 5" >long and said 20 MM DUMMY M5IAIEI and had a fair amount of "heft" to it. I've got some nifty souvenirs from my grandfather. He worked for the OSS and an ordinance factory. (I want to say Browning, but I'm not sure. It would probably have been in Ohio in the 40's if that helps.) Anyway, I've got two shells marked: DURA 1943 20 MM M21A1B1 one marked: S.M.C. 1943 20 MM M21A1 one marked: A.G.M. CO. 1942 37 MM., M17 one marked: 37 MM - M - 16 - B1 1943 P.M.C. CO. and the whopper: 40 M/M III AG/C 1942 There are other markings, but they tend to deal with production lots. The 20s are 7 1/8 inches long, 37 is 12 3/4 inches, 37' is 14 1/8 inches, and the 40 is 17 5/8 inches long. I also have two other pieces that are packed away somewhere. One looks like a cross-section of a warhead and the other like maybe some sort of guidance device. These suckers make really great conversation pieces!! Douglas Krause CA Prop i: Ban Gummie Bears(tm)! -------------------------------------------------------------------- University of California, Irvine ARPANET: dkrause@orion.cf.uci.edu Welcome to Irvine, Yuppieland USA BITNET: DJKrause@ucivmsa