In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

12 GAUGE FLECHETTE ROUNDS

ZebraZebra Member Posts: 5,762
edited October 2009 in US Military Veteran Forum
Were these rounds very effective in Vietnam?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    IIRC, these were issued for "special duty". Like guarding aircraft. Rifle bullets can make holes in $30 million airplanes the few folks we had carrying combat shotguns carried buckshot. However, the 105 mm "Beehive" rounds (flechettes) were impressive as hell.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 32 Magnum32 Magnum Member Posts: 820 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There were also flechette rounds made for the M-79 "Chunker Chucker" as well as some very impressive "buckshot" rounds, also. As 11b6r said, the 105mm SHOTGUNS cleared a pretty big swathe. The "nice" thing about the dart shaped flechette was it's ability to penetrate foliage that would/did deflect round buckshot. If I remember correctly, there were also some aerial rockets that discharged flechettes when in close proximity to the targets.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah, the rockets were 2.75 inch FFAR (folding fin aerial rockets) fired by gunships. we used to call them "Nails".
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rovernutrovernut Member Posts: 256 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to find some stuck in my utilities when I got back for the bush.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    The 105s would "nail a gook to a tree. Really nasty stuff there. I was a sniper but I got my hands on a 870 and would use it at close range. The 12 gauge flechette round was great but only at real close range. I tried a few but stayed with 00 buckshot.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • joker19joker19 Member Posts: 110 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nail a gook to the tree! Horse crap.....I used flachetts every single day in Vietnam on sniffer missions and not once saw anyone or anything nailed to a tree....pure horse crap! Punches a few holes but that is it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • joker19joker19 Member Posts: 110 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wait a minute....you were a sniper and used a 12ga shotgun with buckshot............must have not been to good of a shot there sparky!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rivethookrivethook Member Posts: 166 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK who made the flechette 12 Ga shells and how and where did you get them [^]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by joker19
    Wait a minute....you were a sniper and used a 12ga shotgun with buckshot............must have not been to good of a shot there sparky!


    In addition to my M40. Sometimes you cannot help but be up close and personal. In the jungle sometimes you cannot see more than 5' in front of you. You could literly walk right into a gook over there before you knew what was going on.

    There is a web site that sells 12 gauge fletchetts. Don't remember the name of the site but you can google them if you are interested in getting any.

    Guess a little sarcasim went over someones head.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,429 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    We used "Nail" rockets to support our covert teams in Cambodia. But you couldn't use them if the bad guys were too close to the friendlies because of pattern spread. We also killed pack animals (water buffalo and elephant) on the Ho Chi Minh Trail with them. That was distasteful, but necessary.

    You had to get the range right. The rocket would fire, and as soon as the motor burned out, the burst charge would fire, releasing the flechettes. Too close and they didn't spread enough but too far and they both lost speed and spread too thin. The trick was to get the red smoke marker left by the burst charge a hundred meters or so from the target.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rivethookrivethook Member Posts: 166 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "OK who made the flechette 12 Ga shells and how and where did you get them "

    My question was not clear, what I ment was who made the flechette 12 Ga shells and how and where did you get them for use in Vietnam!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HandLoadHandLoad Member Posts: 15,998 ✭
    edited November -1
    None are available to the unwashed masses, but you can buy the Flechettes by the pound from Cheaper Than Dirt - "Weaponizing them is not suggested" - "They are purely for historical/curiosity"

    Do you or a friend have a 12 GA reloader?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • joker19joker19 Member Posts: 110 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    you can bs the fans but not the players there sparky!!!! I think crapola is in order for the flamboyant........what think? Me thinks the jig is up on ya!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    12 GAUGE FLECHETTE
    A FLECHETTE IS A 1 INCH DART SHAPED PROJECTILE FOR USE IN TAKING OUT SNIPERS HIDING IN THICK BRUSH OR TREES. DUE TO THE PENETRATION OF THESE PROJECTILES, TREE LIMBS AND BRUSH WILL NOT DISPERSE THE DARTS AS READILY AS ROUND SHOT. THEY WILL GIVE AN ALL COVERING PATTERN WITHIN TREES OR BRUSH. NOT INTENDED FOR HUNTING. THESE WERE UTILIZED DURING THE VIET-NAM ERA, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE "BEEHIVE" ROUND.
    HV-0615 $12.95/PKG
    OF 3




    Here is a link to where you can buy 12 gauge flechette rounds.
    http://www.hi-vel.com/Catalog__21/Specialized_Shotshell_Ammuniti/specialized_shotshell_ammuniti.html
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by joker19
    you can bs the fans but not the players there sparky!!!! I think crapola is in order for the flamboyant........what think? Me thinks the jig is up on ya!



    Oh no not another wannabe internet warrior. LMAO If you have any questions about me at least be a man and e-mail me and I will give you directions to my house and you can see for yourself. Well now.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As far as who made the 12 g rds used in RVN, cannot swear to it, but ALCAN seems to stick in my mind. Aluminum cased shell, brass head. When I get back off the road, think I have one round on cartridge board, will check. As far as "how did you get them?"- they were issued from military stores. Not a private purchase sort of thing.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rivethookrivethook Member Posts: 166 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
    As far as who made the 12 g rds used in RVN, cannot swear to it, but ALCAN seems to stick in my mind. Aluminum cased shell, brass head. When I get back off the road, think I have one round on cartridge board, will check. As far as "how did you get them?"- they were issued from military stores. Not a private purchase sort of thing.


    Thanks 11b6r!! thats what I'm looking for, I don't want to buy any just looking for some right information as to what, when and how[^]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hotel6hotel6 Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Had a 12 ga pump in my platoon for the point man to use if he wanted. I tested the flechette on a c-rat case wrapper. Not to impressive. Did use a couple of rounds to shoot some chickens running around west of the Cam Lo area. Did get to cook them up. As I recall they were tough! The opportunity to use this round was extremely limited. But the point man carried one in the chamber followed by all OO buck rounds. Once the DMZ was sufficiently defoliated in our TAOR, the 12 ga went back to the rear.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sarge22853sarge22853 Member Posts: 12 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bravo 1/13, yes, very very effective at "clearing" an area[}:)]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022 ✭
    edited November -1
    Our boats were supposed to each carry a shotgun, for when we put a radioman on the beach, but I seem to recall that few did. I think the rule was made in the M14 days, and was just about made obsolete by the M16. Foliage wasn't much of a problem for us, but if it was thick that shotgun might start looking like a good idea again. Don't think I ever saw a flechette round, but did see a lot of beehives with the artillery boys. Didn't like to call for them, though, because our protocol was often to call for artillery fire on our own position. By the time it got there, of course, we would be down the river.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Belt Fed .50 Cal.Belt Fed .50 Cal. Member Posts: 15 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey Rivethook, The flechette rounds I saw were all made by Remington. They were 12 Ga. high brass green plastic shells that had a Remington head stamp on them. I cut one open to see what was inside. It was an aluminum arrow or dart about 1" long they were packed in the wad with a white plastic granular filler just like buckshot loads are. I think Winchester calls this stuff Super Grex. I shot some out of an 870 Rem. with a cylinder bore. They threw a wide pattern because of no choke in the barrel. I remember the recoil as bieng a lot lighter than a buckshot load. Since the arrows are made of aluminum I dont think they had much range. I shot them in a river to see what kind of pattern they would make.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.