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I've never seen one of these. This is 'F' Troop 11th ACR.

SOURCE: www.flickr.com/photos/...hotostream

Now those I've seen. We even had a couple of 'em in 2/11th.*

*I see that's our sister troop in 2/11, the F Troop guys. I knew several of them from Sheridan School, but not the ones in that pic

Definitely an "open area" weapon..or one for when you're in the open and the other guy is in the treeline. In heavy bush, it would be best to keep it holstered (the short tree hits will not have armed and just provide duds for the next police detail...longer tree strikes could be hazardous to oneself).

P.S., in your "comments" you observe that the exhaust port has been rotated 90 degrees to the front. That is correct. About half of the ACAV crews did that (undo about 4 bolts, turn, reattach) to redirect the exhaust further from the vehicle than the standard position did. If you were moving at any speed, the exhaust had dissipated. In heavy bush was where the dividends were perceived to be...moving slow and not blowing that lingering cloud to right beside the vehicle a and around the crews.

As you know, the Sheridan solution to that issue was a bit more innovative.

I can't find "XM182" on the Internet. Maybe the XM174?
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM174_grenade_launcher]

Doug, This is 2/11 ACR. F Troop. Note the exhaust outlet is turned pointing forward.

- MarkHolloway

I can't find "XM182" on the Internet. Maybe the XM174?
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM174_grenade_launcher]

Mark,
For the period, I believe XM-182 is correct. Here's a link to an Armor Board pub (three years before I was working there):

www.worldcat.org/title.../032721731

Military potential test of grenade launcher, 40mm, pintle mounted, XM182
Author: Robert A Pesci; William M Mayhew; Christopher M Laning; US Army Armor and Engineer Board.; United States. Army Test and Evaluation Command.
Publisher: Fort Knox, Ky. : US Army Armor and Engineer Board, 1969.
Edition/Format: Book : National government publication : English

Another 2/11 XM182 from '71-'72. Traffic jam on Hiway 19. I don't know which troop this is, however...could be E, F or G.

Seems to be a lot you've never seen. They were probably used more on M706s.

- tanker2010

Seems to be a lot you've never seen.

Are you always so tactful?

- Misfire

- tanker2010

Seems to be a lot you've never seen.

Are you always so tactful?

Yes he is. We've come to expect this from him.

Hi Mark! Hi Folks!

In G Troop, 2/11 ACR, we had two per platoon and a tech from Honeywell who helped with problems.

It used the same ammo as the type mounted under the nose of the AH-1 attack birds. It was not powered, but hand cranked. Like Doug said, was not to safe in close terrain, the rounds armed at about 1/3 the range of the M79/M203.

Nick name was "Thumper" around G Troop.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Hi Folks!

- tanker2010

Seems to be a lot you've never seen. They were probably used more on M706s.

I saw a lot of M706s during my 2nd tour, never seen one with a thumper turret on it.

The thumpers in G Troop had a fifth crewman who's job was to pass ammo to the TC from out of the cargo hatch and over the top edge of the turret. Reloading on a M706 must have been a pain. I am guessing the M706 gunner would drop down inside hull, then lift a box up through the to opening and then stand up in the turret and then feed the new belt into the launcher.

Interesting!
Sgt, Scouts Out!