_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
Modern Armor, AFVs, and Support vehicles.
Hosted by Darren Baker
Minigun armed Bradley?
bf443
Vendor
JAC HOBBIES
Visit this Community
Idaho, United States
Joined: May 16, 2003
KitMaker: 895 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 10:21 AM UTC
Hi everyone,

I was watching a program last night on the military channel about 3rd ACR in Iraq. They were doing a sweep of a neighborhood and the footage of the Bradleys caught my eye it was only for a second but it looked like one of the bradleys had a minigun/guntub mounted on the rear roof (were crew hatch would be) I would not have noticed it except for the weapon being fired. It reminded me of an LVT-A1 in the Pacific. Anyone else see this or am I going mad?

Sincerely,
Brian
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 06:57 PM UTC
I'm not sure, but I believe there is a turret override switch that activates when the hatch is opened and prevents the turret from fully traversing. Having a weapon out the hatch would basically shut down your main weapon system, sightings, etc.
Ric_Cody
Visit this Community
Georgia, United States
Joined: May 22, 2005
KitMaker: 299 posts
Armorama: 294 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 07:15 PM UTC
yes Rob you are right, there is a Firing Inhibitor, how ever like anything else there is a Combat Overide Switch. Not sure if there was a Bradley with a Mini gun mounted on it, or it there might have been a vehicle behind that Brad that made it look like the gun was on the Brad. But of course anything is possible in Iraq these days.

Ric
blaster76
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Joined: September 15, 2002
KitMaker: 8,985 posts
Armorama: 3,034 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 02:18 AM UTC


Ric , I asw in your little info thing that you are a BC on a Bradley. Does this stand for Bradley commander. I was in tanks and we were TC's...in fact every vehicle called the commander TC which on the 113's and others meant "Track commander"
Ric_Cody
Visit this Community
Georgia, United States
Joined: May 22, 2005
KitMaker: 299 posts
Armorama: 294 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 05:19 AM UTC
Yes Steve that is correct I am a Bradley Commander on an M3A2 ODS Bradley.
bf443
Vendor
JAC HOBBIES
Visit this Community
Idaho, United States
Joined: May 16, 2003
KitMaker: 895 posts
Armorama: 283 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 06:09 AM UTC
Hi everyone,

The program I watched was Combat Zone and the episode was 'Battle of Tal Afar, Iraq' I guess it's not on the rest of this week (of course ) I thank all of you for your input.
Rob, it would seem strange addition because your right it would restrict the traverse of the turret.
Rick I wondered the same as you if I was viewing another vehicle at an angle but the footage of the Bradley was from its rear and almost straight on but again it was there only for a moment and gone.

I wonder if that program would be available in video or DVD?

Sincerely,

Brian
Sabot
Joined: December 18, 2001
KitMaker: 12,596 posts
Armorama: 9,071 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 06:27 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi everyone,

The program I watched was Combat Zone and the episode was 'Battle of Tal Afar, Iraq' I guess it's not on the rest of this week (of course ) I thank all of you for your input.
Rob, it would seem strange addition because your right it would restrict the traverse of the turret.
Rick I wondered the same as you if I was viewing another vehicle at an angle but the footage of the Bradley was from its rear and almost straight on but again it was there only for a moment and gone.

I wonder if that program would be available in video or DVD?

Sincerely,

Brian
I recall seeing a History Channel prgram similar to the one you describe. The re-enactments used that mock up Bradley on an M548 chassis that has the driver's hatch on the right hand side of the vehicle.
Frenchy
Visit this Community
Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
Armorama: 12,507 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 09:08 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The re-enactments used that mock up Bradley on an M548 chassis that has the driver's hatch on the right hand side of the vehicle.






Frenchy
steve-o
Visit this Community
Ohio, United States
Joined: February 05, 2004
KitMaker: 545 posts
Armorama: 295 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2007 - 12:36 AM UTC
I mainly know the Bradly through a kit I just built for a show this saturday! ...so, sorry if this is a dumb question. (And I got to walk through on at the Cleveland Airshow last year)

Anyways...is there a hatch that opens to the top of the vehicle? Just above and to the front of the rear door? Could a weapon be jury-rigged so that someone could fire it if that door was open?

- Steve
Erik67
Visit this Community
Buskerud, Norway
Joined: July 31, 2005
KitMaker: 1,871 posts
Armorama: 1,423 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2007 - 01:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Anyways...is there a hatch that opens to the top of the vehicle? Just above and to the front of the rear door? Could a weapon be jury-rigged so that someone could fire it if that door was open?


Yes there is a top hatch, but my guess is that it is mostly used for reloading the tow launcher. I flipped through a couple of my reference books and found no pictures with infantry manning this hatch. Anyway, it seams like a bad idea to mount anything there due to turret rotation. The barrel would easily sweep away stuff (and people) if the gunner lost concentration for a second. But on the other hand I have been wrong before...


Erik
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2007 - 01:41 AM UTC

Quoted Text

is there a hatch that opens to the top of the vehicle? Just above and to the front of the rear door? Could a weapon be jury-rigged so that someone could fire it if that door was open?


That is the hatch we are talking about. As noted in a couple places above though, it is used to reload the TOW and it has an interlock switch that will not allow the turret to rotate when it is open. The switch can be overridden, but why. The weapon systems on the Brad are more than capable of dealing with just about any threat. There is no need to mount a gun back there.
crockett
Visit this Community
Ohio, United States
Joined: February 04, 2005
KitMaker: 370 posts
Armorama: 302 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2007 - 05:46 AM UTC
I remember being in close proximity to a 20mm gatling type weapon mounted on a modified 113 hull. This was in Germany back in the 70's. The hull was widened to accomodate the ammo. The thing fired so many bullets, it emptied itself in a few seconds.

I don't think the question is where would you put a mini gum on a Bradley, but where would you store the ammo?

 _GOTOTOP