What caliber for "narco tank"?

Status
Not open for further replies.
well, I cant think of anything that a civilian would have in thier arsenal that could "destroy" said vehicle, but in order to disable it I would first try multiple hits to any vulnerable area (glass, tires, ect) with rifled tungsten carbide sabot slugs.
 
The bulldozer had 2 heavy sheets of steel with concrete in between. The design was such that it was nearly impossible to penetrate, and there's a chance it could have even eaten a single missile. Said missile might still put it out of action, and certainly would have caused serious indirect harm to the person inside, but it might not have penetrated. The Iraqis did something similar with containers of sand, allowing their tanks to sometimes survive a missile hit.

As for this thing, a .50 BMG would almost assuredly penetrate. And pouring gasoline on the ground and lighting it would pop the tires and set fire to its undercarriage.
 
I only have steel and solid copper slugs for smoothbore guns. If I were a south American drug lord I would assume the black market could afford me most any type of military munition.
 
That truck has a lot of its 'squishy' parts exposed. I would think that just about any cartridge with a a belt and FMJ / solid would do the trick.
 
As for this thing, a .50 BMG would almost assuredly penetrate.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bet on it. The video shows that they armored it inside as well as outside with plates of the same thickness. My best guess, is that stuff is 3/8" AR (Abrasion Resistant) steel which is very easy to buy and I'm very willing to bet that a 50 BMG wouldn't penetrate. I've seen 3/8 AR in action, had a 40 ton boulder dropped on the barge I was on 2 summers ago and it didn't even dent the AR steel deck. Liked to roll the barge over though.

If I had to have something for a Narco Tank, I'd go old-school. An M18 57mm Recoilless Rifle to be exact, or maybe a Panzerschreck.
 
If I saw that thing rolling down the street I'd hide or run. I don't have illusions of grandeur, nor am I suicidal.

However, I think a .50 BMG from a good distance away would be a nice solution to that problem. Maybe some proactive citizen will get their hands on one of the ones the ATF let go across the border when the cartels spit out their next homemade APC.
 
Good point with melting the tires, didn't think of that.

What if they used this to get in to our borders?

BP would be dumbfounded at first.
 
I'd shoot it in the grille with the biggest rifle I had.

Homemade stuff made by amateurs will always have issues.
 
Yea, I didn't know any of the details about the guy in CO., but I figured someone would know more.

Don't think they need anything like that to get across the border, seems to me a bicycle will do.
 
Last edited:
can of Bear Spray to the front of it(ac on it I imagine)... then a shotgun when everybody bails out...
 
If y'all shootin at it with an M82 or such like, you're a fair distance away anyways, i dont think the drugged up junkies inside are gonaa put up much of a fight with an
uzi or such as compared to ones M82, i think y'all pretty safe haha
 
Could go as extreme as Ripley in Aliens: "I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

That "narco-tank" is what I would call a high profile target, attractive to a lot of unwanted attention. On the other hand, "technicals" militarized pickup trucks are used effectively in Africa and Afghanistan.

Probably bought through the car show loophole from an auto dealer in CA, AZ, NM or TX. Ignore the drug cartels and Los Zetas with millions to spend on assault vehicles, it's Honest Fred's Pre-Owned Autos in Yuma we need to go after.
 
1- Wow. The local authorities should keep that thing and use it themselves.

2- A 2011 Superduty? Man, I'm driving a 2000 F150 with 110000 on the clock. Sheesh. Must be nice to be able to throw away a brand new truck.

3- I would suppose that armoredman is ... interested ... in what these boys are doing to make their technicals for the same reason I am - we both live kinda near the border, where the drug gangs are involved in a shooting war with the authorities and each other, and some of that stuff inevitably is getting imported to our area, and more of it likely will be.

The first time I saw an APC with "U.S. Border Patrol" stenciled on the side, I thought, what in the world do they need one of those for?

And now we know ... because the nearest armored cav unit is two very large western states away, even if they could get some air cav support much more quickly.

I have absolutely nothing in my personal armory that could punch through that stuff, whether it's a single layer of heavy mild steel or multiple layer AR. I have a small stash of pentrating core 5.56, but it's not AP, and it's only 5.56 anyway. Avoidance is basically all I could rationally expect to do ... though I did find out one of my neighbors has a Barrett ...
 
"Probably bought through the car show loophole from an auto dealer in CA, AZ, NM or TX. Ignore the drug cartels and Los Zetas with millions to spend on assault vehicles, it's Honest Fred's Pre-Owned Autos in Yuma we need to go after."

Yup, that's where I was going. I wonder how the ATF facilitated the purchase of the machine gun and armor plate that was used in the "upgrade"!!! They probably loaded the whole works into a container and shipped to Veracruz. :fire:
 
Yes, I agree - lots of suggestions for AP ammo, heavy machine guns, missiles, etc. Can't afford a one of them, but I know a guy who might trade me a magful of the Chinese steel core 7.62x39mm stuff. :) that's the best I can do.
One thing I could suggest nobody has yet - bag of ammonia to an open gun port/window. You WILL get out. Problem - getting close enough to deliver it. Second though, echoing the thoughts about bbs in a box car, single aimed shots in through open gun ports/windows will do some bounce around...
I wonder how long those engines can run on PemMex fuel??
I seriously doubt one of these is going to do a cross border raid, but I can see heavy duty trucks with light armor added being used some places.
 
I believe the 50 caliber would go right into that thing and possibly through it. Honestly, how much protection do you think they could have on that thing and still be able to drive it, i.e., do you think they could rig a 350 Ford Truck to carry 20 tons?
 
Ieds cocktails maybe homemade gases. (few things under the sink in correct proportions make some pretty costic stuff) other then that go to fort bliss. Borrow a 113 or Abrams and see if they wanna play chicken.
 
Honestly, how much protection do you think they could have on that thing and still be able to drive it, i.e., do you think they could rig a 350 Ford Truck to carry 20 tons?
Click to expand...

Assuming they added additional welds and frame support to support all the armor and transferring most the load to the areas designed for towing and supporting greatly increased weight they could.

The stock diesel trucks with dual rear wheels have a payload capacity of over 6,000 pounds, Gross vehicle weight up to 13,000 pounds and a towing capacity over 16000 pounds.
Plus the original cab and shell appears to have been largely removed before being turned into an armored vehicle. So you would need to subtract that from the initial weight, giving an even higher possible addition of weight than a stock vehicle.

So a good welder and fabricator could turn it into something close to a 20 ton armored vehicle.
It would handle poorly though. But you could customize the suspension to help with that somewhat as well.
It never needs to tow anything, so the fact that it no longer can is a mute point.
The transmission probably would not have a really long lifespan essentially towing at full capacity 100% of the time, but then they are only for the short term and disposable to the cartels anyways.
 
Last edited:
Zoogster;

Prevention was the best medicine in the Heemeyer case.
The zoning board and other powerful people in his town completely screwed him, destroying his business and enriching themselves.
Poor fella had very little recourse... I'm not saying
that lashing out with an armed and armored vehicle
is the correct reaction, but it wasn't the random,
nutty assault the media made it out to be.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
What killed a U.S. tank? Mystery munition knocked out Abrams
2 3
Replies
62
Views
7K
RevDisk
R
W
  • Locked
somthing tells me this didn't come from a gun show
Replies
20
Views
1K
Isher
I
T
  • Locked
An article on weapon tracing in Mexico
Replies
9
Views
650
FiREhAwk
F
3
  • Locked
Mexico & Its Gun Trade
Replies
9
Views
1K
mata777
M
D
  • Locked
Mexican Drug Cartels Armed to the Hilt, Threatening National Security
Replies
2
Views
650
Justin
Justin
Back
Top