Ish, I'm not disputing your figures but I thought this was interesting that some of these weapons are owned by individuals. Back in the '50s you could buy a semi-automatic 20mm anti-tank (German Solothurn) rifle for around $200. Even cheaper was a 20mm Finnish Lahti at $99 and mortars for $20-30.
Rich Pugsley of Palmyra brought one of the more popular weapons to last weekend's shoot. His six-barrel M-134 mini gun, manufactured by General
Electric Co. in the late 1970s, can fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute.
The 308-caliber weapon was known as "Pup the magic dragon" during the Vietnam War, Pugsley said. It is motorized by a 3-horsepower, 24-volt
electrical motor that spins the barrels. The guns were used on helicopter gun ships, carrying 4,000 rounds at a time.
The gun can fire a belt of 140 rounds in a matter of seconds, Pugsley said. The gun normally would be fired in three- to four-second bursts to keep it
from overheating, he said.
Over the weekend, Pugsley offered spectators the chance to fire off 140 rounds for $50. He estimated the gun would go through at least 9,000 rounds
over the weekend. |
