That's fucked up to say the least.

Someone is going to be in the gun over this one.

Yep, they're going to be "cannonized".

>>> Umm... can someone explain to me why the Los Alamos research
>>> center would need "...a gun which acts like a Civil War cannon"...

Wow...

Best explaination I've got is they have money to burn and because they can...

Let's just hope they don't try shooting live Uranium out of "a gun which acts like a Civil War cannon" next time.

*cough* LITTLEBOY *cough*

. . .

Wow. That's great.

Greeeeat.

And just think --- most of the people who work there have DEGREES.

(I wonder how much they bought them for?)

Yeah.

And access to nuclear weapons/materials.

In that case, we'll know how badly they mess up next time by the size of the mushroom cloud. :P

I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades,
I gotta wear shades

I've got a job waiting for my graduation
Fifty thou a year -- buys a lot of beer
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades

Well I'm heavenly blessed and worldly wise
I'm a peeping-tom techie with x-ray eyes
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades

I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades

actually I can see where they're coming from...perhaps to test and experiment on shockwaves throught the earths soilds and layers... pretty simple atually and something that has often been done, albiet a long time ago... by Physists and Geology/geographers (you should know that) today its more often underground detonations or simply tracking the waves from earth quakes... so why they're reverting to cannons is wierd, especially in a 'developed' nation.

What is also weird is that site...I'm sure they have the level of neutral scrutiny as the BBC?

Either way, you know where some of your tax dollars go :3

A seismic analysis doesn't pass the smell test --- they were within a stones-throw distance of the facility's structures.

Knowing the way US Gov't employees behave, I'd say they were just screwing around. They've got tenure, so they can get away with just about anything.

More likely someone has a pet project that has nothing to do with real research and they were playing around. My guess is it wasn't a official test of anything.

That would figure.

It's all fun and games, until someone blows up a building... XD

That was one rather SMOOTH move.

"Hey, let's try to fire a rusty old cannon right next to a building full of maillion-dollar equipment and radioactive materials!"

*facepalms*

Yeah really!

Maybe that's their new weapon they're mounting on the Stryker MGS. :v

It makes sense --- the only thing the MGS is lacking in, is a gun tube that routinely explodes!

*g
And then flip over because of the recoil forces from the exploded gun, with the cage armor turning the rubber tires into confetti. ;3

Btw: do you know what the cage armor of the Stryker is made off, and what they used for the cage armor for the Gavin?

The Bar Armor used on the M113 Gavin is essentially made of the same stuff as the Stryker's "Bird Cage" --- Steel. I've read that BAe developed Aluminum Bar Armor, with half the weight but ALL of the protection of Steel Bar Armor, but I'm not sure if the US Army bought any.

Even so, the M113 can afford to use a much more compact cage than the Stryker, which not only saves a lot of weight, but also keeps the center of gravity low;
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com.....in_Iraq_lg.jpg

Compare to the Stryker's Birdcage;
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milit.....2005-01-31.jpg

The free weight (compared to the Stryker's Bird Cage), also allows for a pair of inch-thick steel plates to be added to the sides, which catch the Copper spatter of any Shaped Charges (RPG warheads, HEAT rounds, etc.) that manage to detonate without snagging in (or deflecting off) the Bar Armor.
The value of a cage with plates versus just a cage is underscored by the success rate thus far of these two systems;
Stryker w/Slat Armor: 50%
M113A3 Gavin w/Bar Armor + Steel Plates: 100%

Further complicating the matter, while Bar Armor is simply bolted-on by troops in the field, Slat Armor has to be welded-on in a rear area supply depot.


One more thing worth considering. The USMC's LAVs and the Australian ASLAV also use Bar Armor, but the Stryker doesn't --- it's "Slat Armor" (the Birdcage) was developed as an interim solution, but it can't use Bar Armor, because it's chassis is too fat.

Interesting ... Oo
If they had used aluminium plates instead of armor they even could have saved quite some weight without losing any efficiency when it comes to shaped charges at all, but I guess the pirce tag was worth the gain of mass. Not to mention that they also got a pretty useful protection layer against conventional firearms whose slugs now simply bounced off the armor instead of sticking in it. I can imagine better things to beat time than having to peel slugs out of the side armor of your tank.