# Killing T-Rex with a gun **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156 "2012-05-17T00:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/101 "2013-05-17T20:13:40Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I think the two .30s were mainly for anti infantry work, while the .50 would be either antipersonnel or a poor man’s anti aircraft gun. What is the difference between “anti infantry” and “antipersonnel”? “Infantry” refers to the vehicles they use, like trucks and transports? That wiki page is inconsistent. The text says there were 2 .30 cals and 1 .50 cal, the summary description on left says 2 .50 cals and 1 .30 cal. From the wiki page on the [M2 .50 cal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Browning) > [@](#): > > The United States did not have many machine guns when it entered World War I, and most were old technology. The machine gun was heavily used in World War I, and weapons of larger than rifle caliber were appearing. Both the British and French had large caliber machine guns. The larger rounds were needed to defeat the armor that was being introduced to the battlefield. Armor was also appearing in the skies. During World War I, the Germans introduced a heavily armored airplane, the [Junkers J.I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_J.I). The armor made aircraft machine guns using conventional rifle ammunition (such as the .30-06) ineffective. The two .30 cals are interior mounted, one in the chassis one in the turret. While they are good antipersonnel, they are less effective at armored transports and aircraft. The .50 cal is better suited for those, but larger in size. So it is roof mounted, with more range of motion and room. Gives a balance between capability and other constraints, like space and ammo storage? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/102 "2013-05-17T20:30:40Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Gives a balance between capability and other constraints, like space and ammo storage? That would be my guess, but .30’s seem rather small for a tank made in the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/103 "2013-05-17T21:14:17Z")
It’s also the last tank with a bow mounted machine gun, FWIW. I assume designers had the same feeling, and perhaps figured the top mounted .50 was more useful and effective. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/104 "2013-05-17T21:19:41Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I assume designers had the same feeling, and perhaps figured the top mounted .50 was more useful and effective. Yes, but I must _get out of the tank_ to fire the .50! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/105 "2013-05-18T04:18:56Z")
Perhaps a gentleman with such distinguishing taste as yourself would be interested in the M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle, with 4x4 front-and-rear wheel independent suspension, and a 260hp Cummins Diesel engine. The “Sport” model comes equipped with a Mark 19 40mm automatic grenade launcher and a “Ma Deuce” .50 calibre machine gun in a turret twin-mount, a M240B 7.62mm machine gun for when you need to take quick pit stops, sunroof windows and climate control AC. Armor protection rated against 7.62mm rounds will also serve you well during the Rush Hour commute.🆒 EDIT: “Anti Infantry” and “Antipersonnel” mean the same thing, I just didn’t think of the right word until the second time I wanted to use it. As far as inconsitencies of the Wiki page, consider that the exact kit of any particular vehicle or system will vary through it’s production run, including changes in design and typical field modifications (for example, compare the Spitfire that fought at the Battle of Britain with some of the models that served by the end of the war, or the stark difference between the B-17B that served in the Army Air Forces in 1941 and the far more heavily armed B-17G that was in front line service by war’s end. Or hell, just look at the M4 Sherman’s evolution.) ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/106 "2013-05-18T07:24:46Z")
Well, if we’re going large, I want an A-10. Instant rexburger. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/107 "2014-03-05T03:02:34Z")
I was originally skeptical about the utility of .50 BMG rifles due to their unwieldiness and high recoil. But the never-ending quest to make humongous guns shoulder-fireable has yielded a new contender: the GM6 Lynx .50BMG rifle. Semi-automatic, and its “bullpup” design allows the barrel to soak up enormous amounts of recoil, sharply reducing the maximum impulse felt by the shooter. See here, 0.22- 0.26: > **[GM6 Lynx 50BMG Reciprocating Bullpup -](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/02/26/gm6-lynx-50bmg-reciprocating-bullpup/)** > > Pure Awesomeness.  The GM6 Lynx is a 50 cal semi-automatic anti-material rifle. It is a bullpup, but that is not the interesting part. The barrel reciprocates all the way back. Just watch the video, I could watch this thing shoot over and over... _Maybe_ a traditional heavy game rifle like the .460 Weatherby Magnum would be slightly more powerful, but the GM6 Lynx looks pretty formidable! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/108 "2014-03-05T06:09:49Z")
I hate these over-produced “OMG WE ARE SO FARKING COOL LISTEN TO THIS GUITAR RIFF” videos that always get produced by firearms and ammo manufacturers. Just show me the damn gun and stop with the loving auto commercial closeups of you taking it out of the box. Anyways, I don’t see how being a bullpup has anything to do with the reciprocating barrel. You could probably do that more easily with a conventional rifle just because there’d be more distance that the barrel could travel. As it is, many modern assault rifles have a reciprocating weighted buffer on a spring inside the stock that serves a similar shock absorption purpose, albeit for a much smaller round (new shooters are sometimes told that the buffer in the M-16 is actually a shake-to-charge flashlight which will turn on if you shake it enough times, because cleaning an M-16 is boring and it’s fun to make the new guy do harmless stupid shit). ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/109 "2014-03-05T14:52:43Z")
> [@SomberLad](#): > > Now we do not have a T REX but it’s weight is estimated at around 13 tons, so double the size of a big elephant. Most estimates I’ve seen place T. Rex weight at 5-7 tons. [Wikipedia says](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrannosaurus) potentially lighter, and the _highest_ estimated weight was around 9 metric tonnes. Sadly, 13 tons is too heavy. > [@](#): > > Mass estimates have varied widely over the years, from more than 7.2 metric tons (7.9 short tons),[8] to less than 4.5 metric tons (5.0 short tons),[9][10] with most modern estimates ranging between 5.4 metric tons (6.0 short tons) and 6.8 metric tons (7.5 short tons).[5][11][12][13] Packard et al. (2009) tested dinosaur mass estimation procedures on elephants and concluded that dinosaur estimations are flawed and produce over-estimations; thus, the weight of Tyrannosaurus could have been much less than usually estimated.[14] Other estimations have concluded that the largest known Tyrannosaurus specimens had masses approaching[15] or exceeding 9 tonnes.[3][16] That said, don’t let him get too close: > [@](#): > > In his study, Meers estimated a possible bite force of around 183000 to 235000 newtons or 18.3 to 23.5 metric tons; a bite force equivalent to that of the largest Megalodon shark specimens.[24][29] 23 _metric tons_ of bite force! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/110 "2014-03-05T20:14:55Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > 23 _metric tons_ of bite force! Dude, it’s not going to hurt. ETA. Unless the Rex _wants_ it to. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/111 "2014-03-05T22:18:42Z")
Nuke it from orbit? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/112 "2014-03-06T03:12:20Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Nuke it from orbit? I guess that’s basically what _did_ happen to them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156.md?page=5)