KY Machine Gun Shoot

[PT7]

In the June 6th D-Day thread, Dave mentioned he has shot a Reising machine gun. So I posted what I thought was an interesting video of a twice-a-year machine gun shoot in KY. I think that video is somewhat "hidden" because it is dated in the first week of June. So I'm re-posting here as a new thread. Hopefully more folk will see it and enjoy this unusual shooting exhibition.

Here's the original note I sent to Dave:

Dave,

When I first saw your post in this thread, I was going to send you an interesting video....but as too often happens, slipped my mind. Today when this thread revived, I said I need to do it.

There is a shooting range in KY that has a Machine Gun Shoot twice a year. Have you ever been there? The Knob Creek Gun Range is just outside of Louisville. A good friend of mine goes at least to one shoot each year, and usually takes a friend -- partly to share the long drive from MO. I'd like to go sometime; just haven't been able to get it scheduled yet....someday I hope.

Anyway, this 2-minute video is really something else....I think it's really . I agree with you that those machine guns fire fast and empty fast! The video highlights the Saturday Night Shoot, and here is the description of the event:

The participants are machine gun dealers, collectors and enthusiasts from all over the country. The Machine Gun Shoot itself consists of three days of machine gun shooting, dealer displays, shooting competitions and a spectacular Saturday Night Shoot. The machine gunners are shooting at a wide variety of used appliances, abandoned vehicles, and barrels of fuel with pyrotechnic charges attached. The pyrotechnic charges are painted orange for the shooter to see. The charges are set off by the impact of the bullets, creating large mushroom clouds and fireballs.

http://www.knobcreekrange.com/media/video

Trust everyone will enjoy it....not the usual range visits I experience!!

Thanks for that article PT7.

I have actually handled and fired a Reising machine gun. They were very obscure. The one I got to "play" with was reliable and fun to shoot. It had two magazines. I want to say a 12 and a 20. Both emptied fast.

[Sir Henry]

Two summers ago I visited my friend in Montana and we shot a real M16A1, STEN and an M2 Carbine. I reloaded 5,000 rounds of 9mm and the STEN ate it in an hour. The M16A1 was the most expensive and he paid $10,000 for it. It was military and had been decommissioned. He did the paperwork on it and filled in the hole so it was all legal.

[PT7]

Sounds like a really cool experience, SH.
Man, close to 83 rounds/minute!! That is moving them along.
Wonder how long such a hot barrel will keep on at that pace?!?

[RetiredSeabee]

I have seen the Knob Creek shoot before it is cool. I would like to do it some time.
And Knob Creek is some darn fine Bourbon too.

[Squatch]

It's only a matter of time before I go back home to visit family in Kentucky and stay there.

[Sir Henry]

Sounds like a really cool experience, SH.
Man, close to 83 rounds/minute!! That is moving them along.
Wonder how long such a hot barrel will keep on at that pace?!?

We had three barrels along with the asbestos gloves.

[CT_Shooter]

How tight were your groups? Any targets to share?

[PT7]

I recently read a book about the ordinary soldiers of WWII. There was a picture of two young Marines engaged in extremely difficult ground battle on some island in the Philippines. One was kneeling and firing the machine gun, the second was feeding the ammo bands in for him.

The brass casings came very close to stacking up and running over the top of their shoulders as they fought from the foxhole. Incredible picture!

Sounds like a really cool experience, SH.
Man, close to 83 rounds/minute!! That is moving them along.
Wonder how long such a hot barrel will keep on at that pace?!?

We had three barrels along with the asbestos gloves.

[Sir Henry]

My groups on full auto was hit or miss. I always said I make up for accuracy with volume. Well not so much with magazine fed full auto but the linked stuff like the M60 was just spray and prey. At least it was for me as I only shot it in training.

We had an M35A1 quad 50 gun truck along with us a lot of the time overseas. It took five gunners to operate it at full capacity for extended periods. The brass and links would really stack up fast if they shot it for more than ten minutes.