Alabama Slammer

[Kerick]

Here is my idea for this GB. This combo has been kicking around in my head since 2003 when during the invasion of Iraq the need for "hillybilly armor" was quickly discovered. While most soldiers were scrounging scrapyards full of busted Iraqi armor the mechanics deployed to Kuwait from Anniston Army Depot in Alabama on their own time were chopping up a five ton truck and a no longer serviceable M113. Now some may recall a gun truck from Vietnam with an M113 in the bed which had a regular cab on it. This would have left the driver and passenger exposed. In this case, the M113 was cut open and placed over where the cab used to be. The engine opening was plated over with aluminum and bullet proof HUMVEE windows cut in. This part is true and I have the pics to prove it.













This constitutes the research portion of tonight's show. I'll try to find the article I read about it but no promises. These pics are all I've ever found about it. Apparently, it never got farther than this point in favor of the MRAP trucks. My desire is to show what it might have looked like thundering (or lumbering, as the case may be) down the road to and from Bahgdad. The article pointed out that the ideal Slammer would have been on a later model truck frame, which is what I have here. I'll include an ACAV shield for the .50 cal and probably some other guns on the sides. In the photos you can see the vents for the engine compartment but I will close them up. The drivers and TC hatch will remain. The rear door will remain with some sort of ladder to get in and out. As I recall, this was built on a dump truck frame which was a little shorter but the kit I have is the regular cargo truck frame which might leave some room for a proper porch. Maybe something like an old time passenger train car. The M113 kit give a full interior of which I won't use many of the parts so extra bashing parts for later!
Here is the required by law photo of the kits involved.



Hopefully I won't get too involved in advanced modeler's syndrome as I'm a month behind already.

EDIT: Here's a link with the same pics if you like.
https://forum.finescale.com/t/crazy-concepts-from-kuwait/180586

[Buzzbomb]

Off the charts coolness with this plan 

[raafif]

A bigger gun (20mm-30mm) & maybe a couple of firing ports in the side ?  More work but possibly another gutted M-113 towed behind as a personnel trailer ?

[Robomog]

I'm not a treadhead, but this sounds interesting 

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Kerick]

The Academy M113 kit includes two .05 cals but they are both terrible. Fortunately I have a few better ones laying around. I need lots of ammo cans.

[Kerick]

I managed to glue together the truck frame tonight. A quick test fit shows there will be lots of room behind the M113 hull for a porch unless I shorten the frame. IIRC the original Slammer was built on a semi tractor frame or dump truck frame so was shorter than the cargo truck that comes in the Italeri kit. I put together the wheels too. The wheel rim halves don’t match up very well and I’m not sure what to do with that. Maybe some custom wheel covers to hide them.

[Frank3k]

Great project! I have the Bigfoot version of the kit - the chassis is pretty easy to shorten - just make sure the cuts are even on both sides! Phill mentioned on Whatif that the wheels suck - they do; it seems that they're pretty band on the regular version as well.

[Kerick]

I’m planning on sanding the centerlines of the tires and maybe make a flat spot to show weight. If that doesn’t work out then I’ll look for aftermarket wheels. I do need to find a radio set. This build will have more of the interior visible so seats and such will all be required.
Thanks for all the positive vibes!

[Kerick]

Here's a pic of the rear wheels. One of these is the outside wheel but the instructions are unclear.



The center hub is slightly larger than the other but otherwise are identical. Anybody out there build this kit and have this figured out? I'd like to get this right and not have the wheels too far out or too far in. Then there is the ridiculous mismatch between the two halves of the rim. I'll try to fill and sand that as best I can on the outside wheel and never mind the inside wheel. These wheels really do suck but the price of resin is totally insane. A die cast toy has better wheels than this. Otherwise things are coming together. I'll start on the back axles next. Maybe that will help get this wheel situation figured out.

[Frank3k]

I think one set is for the inner pair of the rear tires (or outer pair).

[Kerick]

One is the inside wheel and the other is the outside but I can’t tell which is which.

[Frank3k]

I looked at the big foot version and the rear ones are the deeper ones with the bolts at the bottom. The front tires have the bolts closer to the tire surface.

[Kerick]

I built the rear axles last night. Test fitting the wheels showed that the wheel with the longer hub is the inside dual so that the rim clears the springs. Not by much but better than the other way around. Problem solved! 

[Kerick]

I've gotten a little progress on the Slammer. I shortened the frame behind the rear axles by 1/2". This still leaves some room for a platform behind the M113 hull. I've been working on the wheels and have them sanded down to something that looks like a real tire. You can see the pic of the first four I did with the shortened frame behind them. I also added some thin spacers to bring the wheel out a little more as one was touching the springs.



The more I look at that jerry can holder on the battery box the more I think it's got to go. It's begging for a brass or thin plastic replacement. I've started on building the cab. It's mounted on the frame now so I can start working on the M113 hull cuts that fit around the dashboard and firewall. I have some plastic sheet that is the same thickness as the hull sides and roof so I cut and glued in some replacement for the engine grills and such. I'm probably going to box in the area where the tracks were for gear storage lockers. I'm looking at cutting a small part of the truck bed for the platform behind the hull. Now I have to fill all the little ejection pin holes on the inside of the bed sides and ends so they don't look silly. I guess someone thought the shelter box would hide them all. And then sand down the bed floor as the kit provides nice wood texture but the real truck beds are steel sheet. Question for when I get that far is whether to use the front of the bed with nice wood rails so no one falls off a moving truck or the rear part of the bed with the handy tailgate? Or figure out how to attach railings to the tailgate. I'm trying to remember if the 5 tons I saw had railings there or not. I was too busy looking at the .50 cal MG mounted on every vehicle in sight.
I'm debating whether to add another drivers hatch over the passenger's seat. It would be right where the engine grills used to be. There will be windows to see out of but you know how everyone likes to ride around with their head out in the breeze.

[Buzzbomb]

Forward progress is a good thing 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Looking good so far. 

I wonder how the real builders of the Alabama Slammer addresses the rear ramp on the M113 hull.  Did they secure it permanently to the hull (weld it shut) or was it still able to free-fall open when released/unsecured? 

[Kerick]

That’s a good question! The only photos I’ve seen have the ramp shut.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

That’s a good question! The only photos I’ve seen have the ramp shut.

Same here. 

I always thought that it would be prudent in the case of the Alabama Slammer and similar that having that ramp at the rear with the option to drop might be a good idea to include something for it to rest upon when down.  Especially if they had planned to use it as a means of ingress/egress.  Maybe some ladder rungs welded to the inside of the ramp so that it could be accesses when down would be the solution.   

[Old Wombat]

Or use the personnel hatch for regular ingress/egress & leave the ramp for "emergency egress" (as in: "Oh, bugger! The tank's on fire!")

[Kerick]

I don’t think the mechanics got that far. What I’m building still has a longer frame so the ramp could only come down to a horizontal position. Looks like I’ll just go with the ramp shut and the door open. I'll have to come up with some sort of retractable boarding ladder. Don't want to make it too easy for someone unwanted to climb up on the vehicle. I don't think the ramp comes down fast enough to use in an emergency. Two or maybe three hatches to use on top so lots of exit choices. I found a random road wheel from the junk parts box that will make a perfect hatch over the passenger seat. I'll probably make a UV resin cast of the driver's hatch cover to use on the passenger side. Only one side will show anyway.
This one is on hold for a few days so I can get the M41 assault gun Badger and Weasel done. I've just GOT to get something off the desk and onto the display shelf!

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I don’t think the mechanics got that far. What I’m building still has a longer frame so the ramp could only come down to a horizontal position. Looks like I’ll just go with the ramp shut and the door open. Two or maybe three hatches to use on top so lots of exit choices. I found a random road wheel from the junk parts box that will make a perfect hatch over the passenger seat.

If you leave the frame/chassis as-is then you have a supported area for the ramp to rest upon when open.  Add on a step ladder at the edge of the ramp when open and you have easy enough access to the rear of the vehicle.  As for step-ladder sources that is a tough one.  The Italeri HEMMT Gun Truck includes two ladders for access to the cargo bed that might work but that means acquiring that kit for the parts.  A small wood ladder is available in the Tamiya WW2 German Tank Mechanic figure and accessory kit that has a lot of vintage tools, engine compartment bits and some fuel drums and cans. 

Link: Tamiya USA > 35180 German Tank Maintenance Crew

(Image source: Tamiya USA

[Kerick]

This would be a good reason to use the tailgate end of the truck bed for a platform. I think the ramp might be too long when lowered so opening the tailgate would allow for it to be fully lowered. I might build a boarding ladder out of some diamond plate I have laying around.

[Kerick]

I found a photo of a real gun truck with a battering ram built from steel tubes and I beams. Super bad a$$!  It will be a real Alabama Slammer with that! I think I have the right parts to build it.

[Kerick]

Now that’s a Slammer! Italeri included it in their M923 hillbilly gun truck kit. A little too much to buy for just that part. Plus it’s the Bigfoot version and everyone says the tires and wheels suck. Replacing those would be another expense. Not this time!

[Frank3k]

You could probably replicate that with sprue or styrene rod and some strips of plastic.

The Italeri Bigfoot tire are not even in the same galaxy compared to the real thing.