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(Aliens) - M56 Smart Gun: Difference between revisions

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source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG-42
[[File:M56SmartGun.jpg|thumb|right|400px|M56 Smart Gun.  This particular version is the one carried by Vasquez in the film.]]
[[Image:M56 smartgun.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"M56 Smart Gun" in-use in the film ''[[Aliens]]''.]]
[[Image:ALSF-M56-2.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A pre-production sketch shows off the detailing of the weapon.]]


The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "Machine Rifle 42") is a machine gun that was developed for and entered service with Nazi Germany in 1942, during World War II. The 7.92 mm rifle caliber weapon was developed from, and was intended to supplant the MG34 machine gun, though both were manufactured and used until the end of the war.[1] The MG42 has a proven record of reliability, durability, simplicity, and ease of operation, but is most notable for being able to produce a stunning volume of suppressive fire. The MG42 has one of the highest average rates of fire of any single-barreled light machine gun, between 1,200 and 1,500 rpm, resulting in a distinctive muzzle report. There were other automatic weapon designs with similar firepower at its inception, such as the Hungarian-Gebauer single-barreled tank MGs and the Russian 7.62 mm GShak aircraft gun. However, the MG42's belt-feed and quick-change barrel system allowed for more prolonged firing in comparison to these weapons.
The '''M56 Smart Gun''' is an advanced weapon used by the colonial marines in the movie ''[[Aliens]]''. Using electrical pulse action, it fires 500 10mm caseless high-explosive rounds at a rate of 1200 RPM. Despite the fact that the weapon weighs nearly 40 pounds, it can be easily carried and operated with the assistance of a servo-controlled harness. It is called a "smart gun" because the gun has its own guidance system, guided by infrared tracking systems on top of the gun's barrel and on a head-mounted goggle system, guided by a targeting processor in the harness. When a target is designated by the tracking system, the harness automatically guides the operator and gun to the target. Switching targets is as simple as pointing the gun's barrel at a new target. The gun can fire in a three round burst or in fully automatic.  


The MG42's lineage continued past Nazi Germany's defeat, forming the basis for the nearly identical M52, MG1 (MG 42/59), and subsequently improved into the still very similar MG2, which was in turn followed by the MG3. It also spawned the Swiss SIG 710-3, MG42/59, and a 5.56 mm Spanish CETME Ameli machine gun, and lent many design elements to the American M60. The Ameli and the MG3 were in service with many armies during the Cold War and remain so into the 21st century.
The Smart Gun is a modified [[MG42]] machine gun married to a Steadicam harness, with additional parts added from various motorcycles.


part 2
'''The M56 Smart Gun has appeared/been used in the following:'''


SOURCE: http://members.tripod.com/CORP_HICKS/smartgun.html
==Film==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" border="1" style="border: 1px solid #D0E7FF; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:left; font-size: 95%"
|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="220"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="170"|'''Actor'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Character'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="280"|'''Note'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="80"|'''Date'''
|-
|rowspan="2"|''[[Aliens]]'' || [[Jenette Goldstein]] || PFC J. Vasquez || . || rowspan="2"|1986
|-
| [[Mark Rolston]] || Private M. Drake || .  
|-
|}


The M-56 Smart Gun fills the Squad Automatic role in a USCM section. A Smart Gun needs special training to use and is only issued to such "Smart Gunners". The length of the weapon is 122 cm, with a straight rear firing grip and a fore firing grip. In addition, a cocking handle is mounted on the right side of the gun, for manual cocking once a new ammo drum has been attached (reliability drops to UR on the first trigger pull if the weapon is left to cock automatically).
==Video Games==
The gun is mounted on a servo-assisted gyro-stabilisation arm attached to an armoured torso harness. The weapon has an inbuilt smart-targeting system, consisting of a targeting processor in the harness, infrared sensors in the headset and above the barrel of the gun, and the gyro-balancing servo arm. When a target is designated through the headest and barrel sensors, the servo arm immediately moving the gun to track the target. Changing targets is done simply by directing the gun toward a new target. The electronicpulse action allows great control over the rate of fire of the weapon, which is controlled by a toggle switch on the fore grip. It can fire a four-round burst (3-round burst r) and has a full-auto fire mode of 60 rounds.
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|-bgcolor=#D0E7FF
-- from a visual note. the M56 Smartgun, has a mechanical assist servo that coincides with the operators vision targeting system. as you can see in the movie, the operators use a visual field sight, that most likely tells the weapon where it needs to be firing. thus making that weapon much more accurate with mechanical and computed fire corrections. the muzzle size would indicate that the rounds would indicate that the rounds would be in the 7.62 to 14.5 (.308 - .50 caliber) range. the comment of 1LT Gorman "10 millimeter explosive tip caseless. Standard light armor piercing round, why? " would indicate that the rounds were pretty standard among the marine unit's ordinance and rather effective. the advantage of the M56 smartgun of course would of course be the cyclic rate and the optic used with the M56. the M56 in the movie also had what appears to be a power cell when SGT APONE says "clear and lock". this power cell seems to be an ignighting system for the M56 system, an essential part of the weapons operating system. THANKFULLY, Pvt. Vasquez had 2 of these units hidden in her bosoms.
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Title'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="200"|'''Appears as'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Mods'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="250"|'''Note'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="50"|'''Date'''
|-
| [[Aliens vs. Predator 2]] || || || 2001
|-
| rowspan=2|''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines]]'' || "M56 Smart Gun" || || Incorrectly holds 600 (SP) or 150 (MP) rounds || rowspan=2| 2013
|-
| "Vasquez's Smartgun" || || Incorrectly holds 600 rounds, with a bandanna attached to the forward hand grip
|-
|}
<br clear=all>


[[Category:Gun]]
[[Category:Gun]]
[[Category:Fictional Firearm]]
[[Category:Machine Gun]]

Latest revision as of 06:27, 16 October 2022

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
M56 Smart Gun. This particular version is the one carried by Vasquez in the film.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
"M56 Smart Gun" in-use in the film Aliens.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
A pre-production sketch shows off the detailing of the weapon.

The M56 Smart Gun is an advanced weapon used by the colonial marines in the movie Aliens. Using electrical pulse action, it fires 500 10mm caseless high-explosive rounds at a rate of 1200 RPM. Despite the fact that the weapon weighs nearly 40 pounds, it can be easily carried and operated with the assistance of a servo-controlled harness. It is called a "smart gun" because the gun has its own guidance system, guided by infrared tracking systems on top of the gun's barrel and on a head-mounted goggle system, guided by a targeting processor in the harness. When a target is designated by the tracking system, the harness automatically guides the operator and gun to the target. Switching targets is as simple as pointing the gun's barrel at a new target. The gun can fire in a three round burst or in fully automatic.

The Smart Gun is a modified MG42 machine gun married to a Steadicam harness, with additional parts added from various motorcycles.

The M56 Smart Gun has appeared/been used in the following:

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Aliens Jenette Goldstein PFC J. Vasquez . 1986
Mark Rolston Private M. Drake .

Video Games

Title Appears as Mods Note Date
Aliens vs. Predator 2 2001
Aliens: Colonial Marines "M56 Smart Gun" Incorrectly holds 600 (SP) or 150 (MP) rounds 2013
"Vasquez's Smartgun" Incorrectly holds 600 rounds, with a bandanna attached to the forward hand grip


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