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Reader Comments for
Subscribe to this threadDO NOT mess with the Dillon Aero SUV
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Shawn @ Apr 16th 2008 9:41AM
I think you guys are missing the point. This isn't something your average Joe drives around. It is meant to be a part of an motorcade that protects a VIP. No different than a bodyguard carrying a gun.
Mostly likely these things end up in South America or Africa where kidnapping is an industry with heavily armed professionals that can knock out the typical armor vehicles.
This type of vehicles would be illegal to drive in the USA.
Soccer Mom @ Apr 16th 2008 9:47AM
Thank you for clarifying. Otherwise I kept looking over my shoulder on the way to work.
The point is it shoots too many rounds/minute to be effective. By the time a gunner finally aims at the intended target, he will be out of ammo and 100 of by-standers will be gunned down.
John R @ Apr 16th 2008 9:48AM
"This type of vehicles would be illegal to drive in the USA."
Really? Damn. I could use that for my commute.
Jared @ Apr 16th 2008 10:08AM
Soccer Mom:
The security professionals who protect dignitaries are far better at determining their tactical needs than you are. When a convoy is ambushed, they need to use a lot of firepower to get out of the ambush before they are all killed. They've actually protected dignitaries and been ambushed. You have not.
As for the accuracy of this gun, I think you will find that it is more accurate and more reliable than traditional gas-operated or recoil-operated machine guns.
The Dillon machine gun is an update of the old GE M134 minigun that has been used by the US military for more than three decades. In particular, it has been used on many helicopters (including variants of the UH-1, AH-1, OH-6, OH-58, HH-3, MH-53, and UH-60). GE stopped supporting the M134 and spare parts were difficult if not impossible to find. Dillon began initially providing support for the existing GE guns, and now more recently has begun producing entirely new guns. Dillon produces the gun in several versions, suitable for mounting in helicopters, armored vehicles, and ships. Dignitary protection vehicles is undoubtedly a very, very small fraction of the market for the gun.
Your concern about the rate of fire is specious. The rate of fire is selectable by the operator. Since this gun has been used effectively by the US DOD in the Vietnam war (and every conflict since them), it is clear that the rate of fire is not an issue.
This is a very specialized weapon, that is only for sale to organizations by approval of the US government -- primarily military and state security organizations (foreign equivalents of the Secret Service).
Individuals in the US are forbidden from purchasing new production machine guns and the sale to individuals of machine guns built before 1986 is very, very tightly controlled by the US government. Furthermore, individuals can not drive around with a machine gun mounted in a vehicle.
Your arguments are entirely unfounded, illogical, and specious.