Mac Glashan aerial gunnery trainer.
According to the Beeman Blue Book of Airguns, the Mac Glashan Air Machine Gun Corp was formed in July 1939 and closed in November 1943. Along with the Drice slide action rifle, a .24 cal semi-auto carbine arcade gun, and an arcade 'Tommy Gun', it made this .174 cal steel BB aerial gunnery trainer.
It had a 15in smoothbore barrel and was fully automatic and shot BBs at 500-600 fps at 300-500 rpm. It simulated the .30 cal Browning M1919A4 machine gun with dual wood spade grips and button trigger. The steel cylinder parallel to the top was a 1,100 round magazine.
It required hose fed compressed air (or CO2) at 180-200 psi and 24 volts DC.
Used in WW2 to train gunners with model 2000N target carrier carrying 10in airplane models in target plane circle of 30 feet. The US Navy purchased 424 examples of a Navy variant. The other variants were the Army Air Force Model E-3, and the similar E-13 remote control trainer, which had a 6in tall vertical cylinder magazine with rubber top plug.
With thanks to Sean Campbell, imaging manager of the Buffalo Bill Centre of the West in Cody, Wyoming, for permission to post these pics of a gun held in the Cody Firearms Museum. The blurb accompanying this gun follows.
Accession Number: 1993.8.101
Date : 1942-1945
Dimensions: L: 30.875 in, Barrel length: 17.75 in, H: 11 in
Credit Line: Gift of Thomas K. Hutchinson
Inscription: metal plate, left side of frame: Trainer-aerial Gunnerey/ Type E-3 Serial No. 11543/ Specification No. 24,733/ Mfr's assy. Drawing No. AN/ Q30/ 5000/ order No. 42-19931/ Mac Glashan Air Machine Gun Corp./ Long Beach, Calif.
Synopsis: firearm- airgun- MacGlashan Air Machine Gun Corp.; Long Beach, CA- wood- steel- metal plate, left side of frame: Trainer-aerial Gunnerey/ Type E-3 Serial No. 11543/ Specification No. 24,733/ Mfr's assy. Drawing No. AN/ Q30/ 5000/ order No. 42-19931/ Mac Glashan Air Machine Gun Corp./ Long Beach, Calif.- Type E-3- .177- 11543
This gun was advertised for sale recently:
Mac Glashan aerial gunnery trainer (video)
With thanks to Mark.