Gyro jet ammo

[Armadillofz1]

If anyone is looking for some there's a local guy selling 16 rounds. $100 a round with 25% discount on 5 or more rounds purchased.

http://tucson.backpage.com/SportsEquipForSale/100-gyro-jet-13mm-ammunition-for-sale/43487310

 

[somd_mustangs]

It's on Gunbroker too.
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/594424328
Thought about it .... but still high though, that's the most common variation of the 13mm round.
$50-60/each is about right.

 

[engineerbrian]

I've always been fascinated by this gun. I'd pay to shoot a few just to say I did it.

 

[Armadillofz1]

Walter's had one in the case for a while back 15 years ago when i was frequenting there. I think it had half a dozen rounds with it. I don't recall the price but i do recall feeling that the price wasn't bad. Shuda, coulda, wouldas...

 

[somd_mustangs]

I've always been fascinated by this gun. I'd pay to shoot a few just to say I did it.

It's a pretty interesting system.
The early pistols didn't even have barrels, just guide rails.
The barrels are thin-wall stainless steel tubes.
Open "chamber", fixed firing pin, backwards-operating hammer and made of pot metal.

 

[Armadillofz1]

It's a pretty interesting system.
The early pistols didn't even have barrels, just guide rails.
The barrels are thin-wall stainless steel tubes.
Open "chamber", fixed firing pin, backwards-operating hammer and made of pot metal.

where is the little red roll of caps?

 

[engineerbrian]

It's a pretty interesting system.
The early pistols didn't even have barrels, just guide rails.
The barrels are thin-wall stainless steel tubes.
Open "chamber", fixed firing pin, backwards-operating hammer and made of pot metal.

Cool picture

 

[Machodoc]

One of the participants here has the market on those guns nearly cornered.

 

[Doctor_M]

I'm all for weirdo obsolete ammo... but this is a bridge too far for me. Would love to shoot one, but probably not in the cards.

 

[somd_mustangs]

One of the problems - the 13 mm ammo hasn't been made since 1968 and no one has been able to duplicate (or improve) it since.
The NRA Gun Gurus show fired one relatively recently and they had a few duds.
Worse case is a "hangfire" where there isn't enough thrust to depress the hammer (cock it) which traps the round in the gun while it burns.
If anyone does get a chance to shoot one, wear a good pair of fireproof gloves

The Deathwind Project was an attempt a few years ago to redesign the round but it didn't work out.

Interesting factoid, these were tested extensively here in MD at the HP White Labs back in the 60's.

If you're interested in more info, David Rachwal has pics that cover the basic models:
http://www.handgunsoftheworld.com/gyrojet.html

If you really want more, grab a copy of Mel Carpenter's book, which is the only real reference for these (both the ammunition and the firearms).
It's got a ton of knowledge including the history of earlier rocket rounds (German etc) and is easy to read too.
http://gyrojet.net/

 

[toolness1]

I saw that "Gun Gurus" and noticed it said these pistols were tested in the Vietnam Conflict.

What kind of velocity do these things achieve when they hit their max, which I believe is around 25 yards? Doesn't seem like they would do all that much damage.

 

[mawkie]

One of the participants here has the market on those guns nearly cornered.

Indeed! Ask him nicely and you'll mine an amazing amount of information on a cool subject. Me, I've always loved "You Only Live Twice" and the use of Gyro Jets in it. All state of the art stuff back then. Have never seen them in any other movie or show.

 

[MilsurpDan]

Me, I've always loved "You Only Live Twice" and the use of Gyro Jets in it. All state of the art stuff back then. Have never seen them in any other movie or show.

Coincidently enough, the other day I watched part of a terrible 80's movie staring Jay Leno as a cliche wise-cracking cop. He was trying to find some Hitman or Gangster that was killing people with a "Gyrojet Rocket Gun".

 

[somd_mustangs]

I saw that "Gun Gurus" and noticed it said these pistols were tested in the Vietnam Conflict.

What kind of velocity do these things achieve when they hit their max, which I believe is around 25 yards? Doesn't seem like they would do all that much damage.

MBA literature claimed a "standard" 13mm 185 gr round hit 1250 fps for 700 ftlb of energy (around a .357 magnum).
A 235 gr .45 ACP round has about 370 ftlb of energy.

There are a few documented cases of soldiers carrying them as personal weapons.
Officially MBA sent 2 Model 137 pistols (pre-production prototypes) over to the ARPA Research and Development Field Unit in Saigon for informal testing in 1965, but those 2 didn't see combat.
Mel's book relates a story of a Marine colonel testing the pistol on enemy cadavers (1967).
The colonel's report stated that a distance of 20 feet the wadcutter round penetrated, at 35 feet it passed completely through.
There's also some company literature on testing against pig cadavers with similar results.

The round was very effective. It just wasn't always accurate (or reliable).
In the humid jungle environment it also left a nice vapor trail back to the muzzle.
Other operational issues are difficulty in reloading (especially under stress), and no way to clear a misfire without unloading all remaining rounds.
MBA made at least one experimental carbine fed by magazine and two mag-fed test mules which would have helped to some extent.

Indeed! Ask him nicely and you'll mine an amazing amount of information on a cool subject. Me, I've always loved "You Only Live Twice" and the use of Gyro Jets in it. All state of the art stuff back then. Have never seen them in any other movie or show.

Steve McQueen used an MBA "Prowler Fouler" (bean bag gun) to knock down the big dude at the beginning of "The Hunter".
It was done live, no tricks, and when the director asked for a second cut (just joking) the actor less-than-politely declined

.... and then there's the cinematic masterpiece, "Collision Course" ....

Coincidently enough, the other day I watched part of a terrible 80's movie staring Jay Leno as a cliche wise-cracking cop. He was trying to find some Hitman or Gangster that was killing people with a "Gyrojet Rocket Gun".

Yeah, the pistol in "Collision Course" (Leno) was a Mark II, Model C (12 mm).
The Gun Control Act of 1968 forced MBA to go back to the 12 mm (.49 cal) round and for a variety of reasons the production only lasted a short while longer.
12 mm ammo is actually really hard to find now, much more so than the 13 mm.

Here's one of my favorite pics, a promo shot from "You Only Live Twice".
Ironically Karin Dorr's character never touched a Gyrojet but they did a whole series of shots with her and that pistol. I'm not complaining.