M134 Mini-Gun ammo question...

I don't know about the airforce set up. however, in the Navy we get the 7.62 ammo in 1500 round cans and our helo ammo cans hold up to 4000.  if you check the dillon aero website you can se several different ammo cans they have ones that have capacities from 1500 to 4000 rounds.  hope this helps out some

Firehawk Ordie wrote:

I don't know about the airforce set up. however, in the Navy we get the 7.62 ammo in 1500 round cans and our helo ammo cans hold up to 4000.  if you check the dillon aero website you can se several different ammo cans they have ones that have capacities from 1500 to 4000 rounds.  hope this helps out some

I can confirm that.... In the early 90s on the guns we had installed on MH-47Ds, we used to get 7.62 ammo in 1500 round cans.

Jonathan Primm

Youngsville, LA

Hey Gino,

Yeah, we call 'em GAU-2Bs in the USAF.  The center ammo bins/cans have a max capacity of 4500 rds for each gun (total 9000 rds).  The only time we ever carry max ammo like that was when we were doing gun training/qual.  For CSAR in A-stan or Iraq we usually carry 2000 rds per gun (4000 total).  This is with the center bins/cans and GAU-2Bs (M-134s).  BTW, our 7.62mm link comes in 1500 rd cans as well.  we link it together when we put it in the center bins.

Now when we carry M-240s, we don't (didn't) use the center bins.  In fact the main reason we retained the M-240 capability is to carry max pax (the center bins take up a lot of room).  We'd strap the cans (usually smaller cans) right next to the gunners position.  With the lower rate of fire usually we'd carry about 1500 rds per gun, but this would vary depending on the mission (plus whether you are high bird or low bird in the chaulk).  Another benefit to M-240s is that if you went down, you still had two functioning GPMGs for self-protection.  With the miniguns, no electrical power...no flame.  Remember Mogadishu?  Lots of ammo sitting there with nothing to run it through.

Now, with the new external gun/ammo mounts I'm not sure what the max capacity is.  I'll have to get back to ya on that one.  I wanna say 2000 rds per gun but I'm not sure...stay tuned.

Hope that's what you were lookin for.....plus a little extra

Sal-

We getting 240s fielded now.  We get to go make some noise with them this weekend.Do you have some pics of the set up you use? 

Mac

Mac,

Let me do a little digging.  I know I have a few shots of outr M-240s installed during our last deployment to K-1 in A-stan.  I can post them here if there are others interested or I can send them to you in a PM.

A post would be fine.  Y'all use the external mount though, don't you?  Heck, they still may prove useful, who knows what may spark an idea in the mind of the local village idiot.

Mac

Sal,

Would it be possible to see close up pics of the external ammo cans as well?

Regards,

Trigger 

Mac,

The pics I currently have are pre-external gun mounts.  They were taken on a deployment just prior to us getting the external mounts and are therefore the window mounts.  I'll post them tomorrow (currently at work right now for uncle sugar).

Grant,

I'm heading over to the squadron maintenance hangar tomorrow to get some more data for my ski project .  While I'm there I'll make EVERYONE'S day and take a bunch of external gun/ammo bin mount shots.  Hell, I'm in such a good mood I might even give ya some dimensions.

Stay tuned.........

Sal,

You Da Man!!!!

Hey guys,

We got a last minute tasking from the 3-button up here so sorry for being a little behind with this post.  Here's the M-240 pics taken in A-stan.  I've scanned some of the external gun mount stuff from the HH-60G Dash 1 so that will be coming shortly, after the general is happy:-)

I think I'm gonna do a seperate post covering the External gun mount so stay tuned.

Salbando 

Sal,

Thanks for the pics!  I was hoping that y'all found a way to feed the beast from the inside but I will just have to keep working on that.  Are those 240G's?  If so, I think that you would like the H, even easire than the G to break down and it comes with front rails.  Only a single rate of fire though.  When I find my camera, I will post some pics of the mount for sure and I will hopefully be able to dig up some pics of the whole system mounted.

Mac

Hey thanks for those pics!

 Hopefully the External Ammo bins will be just as good!

 I am going to be building a 1/35th pavehawk (the one that I had originally build wasn't that good, so it is worth a redo), and I will benifit greatly from this.