Your tax dollars hard at work...Italian Style

[gunjunky]

Thought you might like a picture of your navy out training. This was taken during live fire exercises off the CA coast last week. I think it is the best gun picture I have taken in more than 20 years of doing this. Got lucky on my last shoot before I retire

 

[Wes Janson]

Are those reloadable?

 

[Sven]

What caliber?

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Looks like 5"/54.

 

[gunjunky]

Sorry should have posted more info

Good guess on the 5"/54 but alas this is the small gun we put on our FFG's.

I worked on the 5"/54 both MK42 and MK45 for the first 18 years of my service. But this mount is the MK 75 76mm 62cal. The gun has a selectable rate of fire from 20 to 80 rounds per minute. This shoot was done on an air target during training we shot 10 rounds this pass with 6 hits.

 

[TMM]

Are those spent shells on the deck below the barrel of the gun?

either way, damn cool! nice picture.

~tmm

 

[Bruce333]

That has to be the coolest photo ever! Even caught the spent case ejecting under the barrell!

 

[DHolland]

76mm Oto Melara Mk75

 

[Andras]

Nice paint-job on the barrel.

Great job on the photography!

 

[oneshooter]

Love the flag paint job on the barrel! Does the Navy still kick the empties overboard?

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[gunjunky]

TMM

You are correct those are the spent cases lying around on deck. You see two rings as the round leaves the muzzle, one at the muzzle break and the other after the round leaves. We can reach about 7 miles out with this one and engage surface or air targets.

 

[0007]

Yep, Oto Melara 60rds/min of 3"(76.2mm) love - unless you are using the Super Oto - then it's 120rds/min.
Got to sit up on the weather deck of some Saudi Arabian (HA, HA, HA)PCGs and PGGs back in the 80's and watch it do it's thing. Got a half dozen expended brass shells from one shoot.
That looks like the upper deck on a FFG there. Worked on about half of those during builds and mods.

 

[Don Buckbee]

GREAT Photo!!!
Don

 

[Crosshair]

Where do I get one.

 

[gunjunky]

Over the side

oneshooter: Yep we still float test them when we are done. I like to think we are creating fish habitat and doing our part for the envronment.

0007: Your correct that is the upper deck (02 level) of an FFG. Our's dial all the way to 80 rounds per minute though. Wish we still used the brass casses of old.

 

[sheepdip]

" Got lucky on my last shoot before I retire"

A great parting shot !!

 

[brentwal]

Cool, that'll make a great wallpaper.

 

[mogunner]

Yoyr tax dollars hard at work... Italian style

Great Pix. Which FFG? USS Stark FFG-31 Plankowner.

 

[belton-deer-hunter]

i dont know much about the ocean or guns that big but that is a good pic

 

[JesseJames]

What are they shooting at?

 

[tegemu]

Thanks Shipmate!!!

 

[gunjunky]

Shoot

mogunner: USS Rodney M. Davis FFG-60. Named after a Marine that won the CMH in Nam.

JJ: Shooting at a TDU (air target). Was a great way to spend the day.

 

[Preacherman]

The Oto Melara 76mm. naval gun is probably the single most widely used "main gun" in naval use worldwide. Here's a picture of one on a South African strike craft (the Israeli "Reshef" or "Saar 4" design, built with heavier steel to handle South Africa's nastier sea conditions). Note the lack of a shell deflector on this gun - the cases go straight over the side. The ejected shell can be seen just below the base of the barrel.