What is a "BLOOPER"? Were they used on Helicopters?

[GEORGE CURTIS]

"BLOOPER" THE M-79 GRENADE LAUNCHER:

This weapon first appeared during the Vietnam war and closely resembled a large bore, single barrel, sawn-off shotgun. The first M79 Grenade launchers were delivered to the US Army in 1961.

The M79 was designed as a close support weapon for the infantry, and was intended to bridge the gap between the maximum throwing distance of a hand grenade, and the lowest range of supporting mortar fire. An area of between 50 and 300 meters.

The M79 was a single shot, shoulder fired, break-barrel loading weapon which fired a spherical 40mm diameter grenade. The M-406 40mm HE grenades fired from the M79 traveled at a muzzle velocity of 75 meters per second, and contained enough explosive within a steel casing that upon impact with the target would produce over 300 fragments at 1,524 meters per second within a lethal radius of up to 5 meters (?). Stabilised in flight by the spin imparted on it by the rifled barrel the grenade rotated at 3,700rpm, this in turn after 15 meters(?) of flight armed the grenade.



Field Manual of the 40 MM Grenade Launchers, FM 23-31

[Ed Egan]

Was it called a "blooper" or a "blooker"?

I carried one for awhile, but my memory may be a blooper.

[R.T.Foster]

we carried the ''bloopers'' on night medi-vac and the pilots sure did'nt like it when we bounced thoe flare rounds off the blades!!! we were supposed to wait for them to tip her up but sometimes got a little excited lighting those lz's for the 46's..semper fi..........huey guns.....

[Roth]

It is my understanding that the early Cobras' had a "gun" under the chin that was the same round as the M79 and could be swiveled from side to side as could the "regular" machine gun that was normally mounted there.

[R.T.Foster]

I don't remember how it came about but one day ''they'' gave me a 40mm gun to mount on the 60 door mount. it had a 12 round mag. it fired auto or semi-auto. we took it ( I think) out to elephant valley. full auto did'nt work good at all but with seml-auto you could ''walk'' 12 rounds right in to a cave. who flew the tv-4 that day? semper fi ''pied piper''

[Terry McGovern]

About the arament in the turret of the Single Engine Cobra's (AH-1G's). The G Model's had a 40MM and a 7.62mm minigun in the turret. The G Model's were on loan or purchased from the U.S. Army so I have been told or led to believe until the Marine Corps got the Twin Engine Cobra (AH-1J's) which were equipped with one 20 mm Minigun in the turret. The AH-1G had a 250 round drum for the 40 MM and a 2000 or 4000 round ammo can for the 7.62 minigun. The AH-1J's had a 2000 round ammo can for the 20 mm Minigun. I have several pictures of these weapons but can not post as I am not very good with computers. Memory not like it use to be as far as ammo loads.

Semper Fi
Terry McGovern
HML-367 Ordnance 69-71

[GEORGE CURTIS]

Posted for my "SCARFACE BROTHER TERRY"

AH-1G Huey Cobra Gunship

HML-367 "SCARFACE"

1970 MMAF