Worlds Largest Gun Suppressor!
This photo, taken at a German Army artillery range, is not a fake.
The side expansion chambers will be to accommodate the blast of the cannon's muzzle brake.
I know what you are thinking: "WTF!".It was build to reduce noise to communities nearby. The vehicle pictured is the M109G 155mm self-propelled howitzer.
Many thanks to Sven for emailing it to me.
UPDATE: Thanks to Mark for these images of another German tank suppressor.
UPDATE: Daniel found a US patent that German defense firm Rheinmetall GmbH has on the design of cannon silencers.
I wonder how much the damn thing cost.Maybe they could dual purpose it as a jet engine test station for testing in neighborhoods.
guy: It is used at a test range so as not to disturb the neighboring community. It is not meant for combat.
I would think this is fake just for the fact that it wouldn’t be functional when aiming at any moving targets, it’s angle of projectory is constant due to it being mounted to the metal strucures shown above, therefore it could only be used for defending a key spot, maybe the entrance to a bridge or border? Where you expect an attack However using something that can adjust it’s aim would be much more useful than muffiling the sound disturbing nearby communities. I know the germans are too smart to mass produce these but they may however had one too many beers and came up with the idea of a silencer the size of the tank and then constructed it for shits and giggles, now that I can believe!
Why would you need a suppressor for a tank? Who cares if it is making noise, you are fighting a war.
the article clearly states it’s to reduce noise pollution to neighboring communities.
Looks like a penis and testicles.
“I know what you are thinking: ‘WTF!’”
Actually, what I was thinking was, “It’s Doctor Evil!”
http://tinyurl.com/yfclreu
hmmmmmm…………… what’s the word I’m look’n for…….phallic.
Here is Rheinmetall’s US patent for cannon sound suppressors. The illustrations show versions for the Leopard and Gepard.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=56QlAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage
The side chambers for the M109G sound suppressor would seem to accommodate the venting of the muzzle brake.
Daniel, great find! Good point about hte muzzle brake. I had just assumed they were additional expansion chambers.
Wow. Those look like earmuffs for a bloody Gundam!
I really do have to wonder how much of an impact they make on the sound… and how often they have to replace the internals.
Well, that is why the last generation of Battleships still had wooden exterior decks…
Yeah, but will it fit on my .22?
what i can’t figure out is why they bothered painting it camo. then again, it’s a piece of army kit, they probably had soldiers standing around doing nothing else useful…
Nomen, LOL, good point!
I’ve seen this picture floating around the internet for quite a while, and I’ve always wondered if it was some sort of suppressor. Thanks for clearing that up!
i wonder what the sound reduction is, the pic was a bit grainy. Either way, here ya go ATF, $200. I wonder what FFL dealer would accept that? UPS?
So , uh, $200 tax stamp and I’d be good to go?
Pete, and you can use it for any caliber less then 155mm!
The presentation:
http://www.cervus.de/publikationen/BuHiBaltimore01.pdf
One more:
http://www.abload.de/img/ifl-schalldampfer76fs.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/ifl-schalldaempfer-sch368o.jpg
Mark, thanks for the links. I have updated the blog post.
The difference is that in English forums the consensus is that it’s a fake while in German forums there are almost always people who saw it in real.
It’s at the WTD in Meppen (kind of a testing range).
http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?p=117739
(many more photos of it)
That’s one hell of a piece of equipment.
Wait a sec. This pic has been floating around the internet for years and has always been called a fake. Now its said that this is real!?!?!? Sorry Steve…I need more proof cowboy!
two words:
Need. Video!!
Or at least a sound clip.