What Reason Do You Need To Be Shown?

November 22, 2005 11:25 PM

Bang, Bang, Boom, Blam! Video from the Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Tradeshow.
posted by fandango_matt (69 comments total)

Good lord. That white camaro was remote controlled, right?
posted by mathowie at 11:29 PM on November 22, 2005

Thanks for your interest in Google Video.

Currently, the playback feature of Google Video isn't available in your country.
posted by moonbiter at 11:30 PM on November 22, 2005

I'm sorry but that looks like a ridiculous amount of fun.
posted by Ryvar at 12:08 AM on November 23, 2005

Surely the handbrake had to be released by remote? I mean that whole area gets lit up after it starts rolling. No way anyone should be anywhere near that range.
posted by pivotal at 12:24 AM on November 23, 2005

I mean that whole area gets lit up after it starts rolling.

Some of these shooters couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
posted by toxic at 12:40 AM on November 23, 2005

I believe what we have here, son, is a clash of civilizations.
posted by dhartung at 12:58 AM on November 23, 2005

That was nice.
So, this looks like kind of a pricey hobby -- I mean, it can't be cheap to let one of those big guns rip for a couple of minutes.
And I agree that kids shouldn't be allowed near machine guns -- not until I've had my turn anyway (You wait your turn Alyssa, Uncle George gets to go first.)
posted by Opposite George at 1:27 AM on November 23, 2005

I bet Alyssa can efficiently disassemble and clean that machine gun while tapdancing blindfolded, but does she like that and have other fun time opportunities or she's condescendingly making "uncle" happy ?
posted by elpapacito at 1:58 AM on November 23, 2005

does she like that and have other fun time opportunities or she's condescendingly making "uncle" happy ?

Well, it's hard to put myself in the mind of a 7-year-old girl but as a former 7-year-old boy I can assure you I'd have traded both a pony ride and a visit to the candy store for the opportunity to fire a real machine gun.
posted by Opposite George at 2:11 AM on November 23, 2005

(For that matter, I still would. Making things blow up is fun!)
posted by Opposite George at 2:12 AM on November 23, 2005

opposite george: yeah I guess there's something captivating in smoke, fire, sound..maybe it's some kind of illusion of being in control of fearful things (certainly you wouldn't like to blow yourself up, even if you like to blow up things).

Additionally, the knowledge that one is in control of instruments that can easily lead to death or serious damage may form some kind of illusion of being in control of death ?
posted by elpapacito at 2:22 AM on November 23, 2005

Some of these shooters couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.

Yeah watching it again, were they even trying to hit that rolling car? And if so, I can now understand why one should (apparently) fire a full-auto weapon in bursts.
posted by pivotal at 2:23 AM on November 23, 2005

I think in my case (both Old OG and little OG) it has to do more with getting to do stuff that would drive my mom nuts.
posted by Opposite George at 2:26 AM on November 23, 2005

(er, in response to elpapacito's controlling death question)
posted by Opposite George at 2:30 AM on November 23, 2005

Poor woman :P
posted by elpapacito at 2:39 AM on November 23, 2005

You don't know the half of it (and I'm the good son!)
posted by Opposite George at 2:41 AM on November 23, 2005

Wow. that looks like fun.
posted by srboisvert at 3:00 AM on November 23, 2005

I've gone to the Knob Creek Gun Shoot Quite a few times and it never gets old. The best is the night shoot they have where they set 55-gallon drums of gasoline with some explosives taped to the front. Completely wasteful, but still amazing to see explode, see the shockwave blast through the grass and then hit you in the stands. Watching machine guns shoot until the barrels are red hot, swap them out with others and shoot some more. And the sound of teh Vulcan cannons... *drool*


On the subject of the video starting out with a little girl.... One year at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot a 13 year old was shooting a machine gun at one of the lesser ranges and it hopped up and fell on the child killing her. Just being at the event when that happened makes me feel cautious whenever I see kids shooting fast guns.
posted by Phantomx at 3:16 AM on November 23, 2005

oh that reminds me I should try digitizing some footage of knob creek that I have. So impressive.
posted by Phantomx at 3:17 AM on November 23, 2005

so, what exactly were those big explosions in sequence...mortar rounds or something?
posted by rawfishy at 3:58 AM on November 23, 2005

I don't believe cars explode like that outside of Hollywood.
posted by srboisvert at 4:19 AM on November 23, 2005

Chicks and guns. Nice.

what exactly were those big explosions in sequence... mortar rounds or something?

Not if they were letting those idiots aim they weren't. I didn't see any misses, which means either military people were shooting, or they just strung up some dynamite to 'em.

I'm more interested in what was making those lines in the dirt at 1:48. Whatever it was, it sure was putting out a hell of a lot of rounds per minute.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:41 AM on November 23, 2005

civil: most probably a Vulcan machinegun, used on F16 and other jetfighters
posted by elpapacito at 4:45 AM on November 23, 2005

Sweeeet.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:00 AM on November 23, 2005

These are my old neighbors. I'm going to show this to people when they ask why I left Oklahoma.
posted by password at 5:05 AM on November 23, 2005

I'm sorry but that looks like a ridiculous amount of fun.

Agreed. I'm thinking Mefi Meetup/Car Shoot.
posted by LeeJay at 5:17 AM on November 23, 2005

Is anyone else concerned about the ground water at a place like this? Thousands of rounds, of apparently all times has to have an effect on the environment, where from the looks of it the run off would concentrate the stuff.

More than just the bullet coming out of the barrel...
posted by fluffycreature at 5:18 AM on November 23, 2005

Wow. "Hold my beer and watch this," indeed.

The audio's pretty impressive, but it doesn't really convey the deep bass of the concussions from the heavy stuff blowing. Even high-powered rifles put out enough of a shock wave that you "hear" the bang! all over your body.
posted by alumshubby at 5:30 AM on November 23, 2005

Agreed. I'm thinking Mefi Meetup/Car Shoot.
Others share that thought.
posted by klarck at 5:42 AM on November 23, 2005

I would pay to do that. Just not in my neighborhood, thank you, NRA.
posted by fungible at 5:50 AM on November 23, 2005

You Americans frighten me sometimes.
posted by you just lost the game at 6:05 AM on November 23, 2005

yeee-haw!
posted by Fezboy! at 6:06 AM on November 23, 2005

google video rules!
posted by Fezboy! at 6:07 AM on November 23, 2005

War is fun when there's nobody shooting back at you.
posted by VulcanMike at 6:15 AM on November 23, 2005

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

-You've come a long way, baby.
posted by capilano at 6:16 AM on November 23, 2005

You Americans frighten me sometimes.

Heh, most of our public schools here in PA are closed next Monday for the first day of deer season. It's pretty much a high holy day here, even in the high-tech companies that I've worked in you can't plan any meetings or deadlines for that day because so many of the engineers are out in the hills shooting bambi.
posted by octothorpe at 6:22 AM on November 23, 2005

I don't believe cars explode like that outside of Hollywood.

I'm with you srboisvert. I mean if the Mythbusters say it ain't so, it ain't so. I wonder if they had explosives or something on board that detonated. Or perhaps someone launched a grenade at it?
posted by xmattxfx at 6:28 AM on November 23, 2005

Good lord. That white camaro was remote controlled, right?

I was being driven by Ted Nugent. RIP my fallen hunter.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 6:50 AM on November 23, 2005

"Now remember kids, short, controlled bursts. If you start wasting ammo you lose your TV priviledges for a week!"
posted by blue_beetle at 6:50 AM on November 23, 2005

...many of the engineers are out in the hills shooting bambi.

Killers killing killers, as in this case, Bambizilla killing machines.

Won't somebody please think of the baby birds !?

Soylent Bambi -- the other white meat.
posted by y2karl at 6:50 AM on November 23, 2005

Actually "it" was being driven. I was once driven by the Nuge but it was dark backstage and I was drunk.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 6:51 AM on November 23, 2005

I don't believe cars explode like that outside of Hollywood.

This movie shows that they don't. The folks in it tried to get a gas tank to explode by shooting it with a wide variety of weapons (up to a .50 BMG) and could only get it to do so when they had some open flames set up nearby to ignite the splash-through.

I myself experimented with this years ago, shooting 1 gallon gas cans with an SKS, but could never get one to go up. Basically, you need a secondary ignition source, or at least something more than a simple lead bullet.

If I remember correctly, the movie also had this great sequence where a guy selling body armor decided to try out his own product (with somewhat humorous results).

They also blew up a car with dynamite just to see what it looked like.
posted by moonbiter at 6:51 AM on November 23, 2005

This song kept going through my head while that 10 year old was blazing away.

That being said, holy shit that looks fun. Especially the "brrrrrrzap!" of the Vulcan gun and the full auto pistols!

About the exploding car, I think the amount of ammo going through that chassis was providing more than enough secondary sparks...
posted by anthill at 7:01 AM on November 23, 2005

I'm thinking Mefi Meetup/Car Shoot.

I AM SO THERE.
posted by Jon-o at 7:03 AM on November 23, 2005

Thousands of rounds, of apparently all times has to have an effect on the environment

Yes, shooting ranges can cause environmental problems, especially shooting clubs located near water with a history of using lead shot. (Link to gun-hater website.)

The main problem is that wildlife in the area ingest the shot and end up with huge levels of lead in their systems; this can be the case long after a club switches to steel shot or suspends operations unless the site is cleaned up.

The Remington Arms Company had a club in Lordship, Connecticut that shut down as a result of a lawsuit (Connecticut Coastal Fishermen's Association v. Remington Arms, Inc.) From the link above:

The Lordship trap and skeet range was located on Long Island Sound, directly across the mouth of the Housatonic River from two wildlife refuges. According to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, "After nearly 70 years of use, close to 2,400 tons of lead shot (5 million pounds) and 11 million pounds of clay target fragments were deposited on land around the club and in the adjacent waters of Long Island Sound."76 A 1987 study documented acute lead poisoning in 15 of 28 black ducks captured in the area.

Remington Gun Club site remediation porn. Right now I believe the Town of Stratford is planning on using the land for a wildlife refuge or sanctuary (I recall reading this somewhere but I can't find the cite, somebody correct me if I misremembered.)

There have been other cases filed by environmental groups against clubs that used lead shot in the past (right now I think you have to use steel shot near the water, again correct me if I'm wrong) -- I know Long Island Soundkeeper went after the New York Athletic Club's Travers Island range, for example.
posted by Opposite George at 7:47 AM on November 23, 2005

This is why no country will ever successfully invade America.

Wolverines!
posted by billysumday at 7:52 AM on November 23, 2005

I mean, it can't be cheap to let one of those big guns rip for a couple of minutes.

I wonder about this, too. Phantomx, et al, any info? Although, considering how much ammo that little girl goes through (side note: icky!), it's gotta be fairly cheap, right?
posted by mkultra at 7:54 AM on November 23, 2005

Civil_Disobedient, it is very unlikely that it was a 20mm Vulcan from a fighter. It would be an entire truck load, and it would cost a fortune to fire, not to mention the ammunition can't be that common even in America...

Much more likely it was something like this, sometimes called a 'minigun'. Still ridiculous though...
posted by Chuckles at 7:55 AM on November 23, 2005

I'm thinking Mefi Meetup/Car Shoot.

Yeah, right. Last time we tried that, you bastards gave bad parking directions.

I loved that car.
posted by graventy at 8:00 AM on November 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

it's gotta be fairly cheap, right?

Using cheap surplus ammunition the gun that girl was firing shoots about $100 per minute.
posted by Tenuki at 8:11 AM on November 23, 2005

Oh, lordy, that looks like fun. Probably not a buck a round worth of fun, but hey.

Is it likely that the really rapid-fire gun is actually a Vulcan? Aren't M61's, well, BIG, what with their being 20mm cannons? And where in the holy hell would they have gotten an M61? It seems more likely to me that it's a much-smaller-caliber minigun, either a real ex-military one that someone got hold of somehow or a homebuilt one.

Heh. Just looked up information about gatling guns, and one page listed recoil force... recoil force for a minigun, ~270 pounds. For the A-10's gun, four tons. That I'd pay to see.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:22 AM on November 23, 2005

Recoil for minigun 270 pounds: fired from prone position, I take it. :)

I have to say that the whole thing looked like a lot of guilty fun.
posted by LeisureGuy at 8:44 AM on November 23, 2005

guns.ru on Miniguns/Gatling guns/Vulcans.

Also, this is the GAU gun in the A-10:


re: water table contamination - steel core bullets and non-lead solutions are starting to get some traction these days, although more out of the practicality of defeating ballistic vests than, say, genuine environmental concern. That having been said, it's almost a certainty that all the ammo fired in that video was a) surplus, and therefore b) lead
posted by Ryvar at 8:51 AM on November 23, 2005

I'm going to show this to people when they ask why I left Oklahoma.

*sniff* this makes me miss Oklahoma. Back about, oh, sixteen years ago, a family friend was in the National Guard. He was participating in a shooting competition, and for some reason, he got to bring his M16 home with him for the weekend. It had a .22 Long Rifle conversion kit installed.

Needless to say, we went down to the river (where the opposite riverbank was a convenient backstop), and spent the day shooting pop cans full-auto. Nothing more fun than an afternoon of plinking and target shooting, as long as kids are properly supervised.
posted by mrbill at 8:58 AM on November 23, 2005

My bad it probably isn't a vulcan ;( rather some like the link Chuckles is pointing to, or to this other minigun lover.
posted by elpapacito at 8:59 AM on November 23, 2005

All the mini guns you'll see at Knob Creek will be 7.62mm or 5.56mm. I don't believe that any of the larger guns were ever transfered into the civilian market.
posted by Tenuki at 9:00 AM on November 23, 2005

I think the amount of ammo going through that chassis was providing more than enough secondary sparks ...

Sadly I cannot view the video, but can you actually see sparks? Lead doesn't normally spark.

Recoil for minigun 270 pounds: fired from prone position, I take it. :)

Fired from a tripod or something similar, almost certainly.
posted by moonbiter at 9:03 AM on November 23, 2005

not to mention the ammunition can't be that common even in America

You haven't been to a gun show in the Southern or Western US have you?
posted by Pollomacho at 9:09 AM on November 23, 2005

What makes me wonder is what is beyond the range there. As you can see from the tracer round sequences, the rifle rounds are bouncing up and over the tree line. I feel sorry for whoever lies (lived) down range where that lead is coming to rest.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:12 AM on November 23, 2005

not to mention the ammunition can't be that common even in America

Some of it is available. $25 per round, or about $18 per round if you want to hand load.
posted by Tenuki at 9:16 AM on November 23, 2005

I'm just glad they're not shooting at Canada.
posted by disgruntled at 10:20 AM on November 23, 2005

ROU_Xenophobe: it is something to see—enough easily see the deceleration of a low flying A-10. Calling CAS with warthogs was easily the coolest thing I experienced as an FO.
posted by Suck Poppet at 10:46 AM on November 23, 2005

(excellent Boomtown Rats ref)
posted by amberglow at 11:47 AM on November 23, 2005

posted by Tenuki:
> All the mini guns you'll see at Knob Creek will be
> 7.62mm or 5.56mm. I don't believe that any of the
> larger guns were ever transfered into the civilian market.

All the same, a 7.62 minigun is still going to be kicking out 2-4000 rounds of what is the equivalent of a civilian .308. That's more rounds in a minute than a lot of deer hunters would fire in a lifetime. Even with recoil absorbers built in to the gun, the recoil would be incredible!
posted by tim_in_oz at 1:25 PM on November 23, 2005

the recoil would be incredible!

True, but that's what pedestal mounts are for. Outside of Schwarzenegger movies I don't think you'll ever see someone attempt to fire a minigun from the hip.
posted by Tenuki at 1:58 PM on November 23, 2005

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

That white camaro was remote controlled

An early 80's T-bird, actually. Probably a remote solenoid pulled a block out from behind a wheel.
posted by CynicalKnight at 2:27 PM on November 23, 2005

Yeah, where are the stories of lead falling and killing people way off range?
posted by parallax7d at 2:34 PM on November 23, 2005

You don't want these people living next door...and pissed off at you.
posted by philmas at 3:29 PM on November 23, 2005

More footage (NSFW ads, maybe) of the insane power of military auto-cannons.
posted by jsonic at 5:52 PM on November 23, 2005