This was the subject of a 'Mythbusters' episode, using progressively higher velocity/calibre rounds and it took a gatling gun, firing tracer rounds to ignite the tank.

A Gatling gun? They were declared obsolete in 1911, before there was any such thing as tracers.

It's a shame Mythbusters haven't been asked to debunk this one (or not as the case may be). It would make an interesting show.

Now that would be interesting.

Ken V.

P.S. Here's a photo of a Gatling gun:

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The D-Day Invasion opening scene to Saving Private Ryan was pretty realistic.
The TV series Justified is fairly accurate as far as the gun handling goes.

A Gatling gun? They were declared obsolete in 1911, before there was any such thing as tracers.

I can only quote what they said on the show. The gun certainly looked like a modern day version of the old Civil War weapon you've posted. They were probably using some sort of light weight rotary cannon or minigun.

Looked a bit like one of these:

The D-Day Invasion opening scene to Saving Private Ryan was pretty realistic.

It was.

Except for the sound of the bullets.

In the movie thay made a whizzing sound. Real bullets are supersonic and make a "mini" sonic boom, so instead of a "VEEEeep" sound it would have been a sharp CRACK! Like a whip . . . only LOUDER.

Ken V.

That makes sense.

Thanks.

Ken V.

I can only quote what they said on the show. The gun certainly looked like a modern day version of the old Civil War weapon you've posted. They were probably using some sort of light weight rotary cannon or minigun.

Looked a bit like one of these:

It was.

Except for the sound of the bullets.

In the movie thay made a whizzing sound. Real bullets are supersonic and make a "mini" sonic boom, so instead of a "VEEEeep" sound it would have been a sharp CRACK! Like a whip . . . only LOUDER.

Ken V.

Let's not forget the "schmuck" sound when it hits flesh.

I can only quote what they said on the show. The gun certainly looked like a modern day version of the old Civil War weapon you've posted. They were probably using some sort of light weight rotary cannon or minigun.

Looked a bit like one of these:

I don't have the time to look it up, but they may have used a mini gun. It's basically a smaller version of a Gatling gun. They look a bit like those.

I don't have the time to look it up, but they may have used a mini gun. It's basically a smaller version of a Gatling gun. They look a bit like those.

I think they use an electric motor instead of a hand crank.

The Australian Vietnam war film, THE ODD ANGRY SHOT, had very realistic small unit and patrolling tactics. The Australian SAS guys use hand signals, send up head counts, check their pace counts, whisper or avoid speaking, etc.

It was.

Except for the sound of the bullets.

In the movie thay made a whizzing sound. Real bullets are supersonic and make a "mini" sonic boom, so instead of a "VEEEeep" sound it would have been a sharp CRACK! Like a whip . . . only LOUDER.

Ken V.

Movies and TV always get the sound of gunshots wrong, with or without "silencers". As it happens, I've heard a bullet flying by overhead a time or two, and it's a very distinctive sound.