The Land-Rover 'Gunbuggy' variant conversions were carried out on some (existing) Series 2 and (brand new) Series 2A ¼ ton G.S. Land-Rovers in the 1963-64. The Army procured 72 of the 106mm RCL guns for use on Land-Rovers and M113 APCs. The Gunbuggy conversions on SWB Land-Rovers were carried out by RAEME (3 Base Workshops Broadmeadows Vic) and there some 'in-service' as late as 1996 (!!!!), seeing activity in Vietnam in their first decade of service. As a typical example, the Logbook from Gunbuggy 112-655 (24303650A 13/12/63) records the conversion being carried out at an odometer reading of 185 miles and taking 301 man-hours (the logbook also refers to the whole vehicle/unit as NSN 2320-66-036-9735).

The Gunbuggy was the primary medium-range anti-armour weapon of RAR. How many Gunbuggys were made and 'in-service'? Reference info on the Gunbuggy was as good as non-existant until Mike Cecil, a researcher attached to the Australian War Memorial, published his article detailing the Australian Army's platforms for their M40A1 106mm Recoilless Rifles (Army magazine 8/02):

• Land-Rover 88" Gunbuggys = 69 units
  • Series 2 Gunbuggys = 24 units
  • Series 2A Gunbuggys = 45 units
• A couple of Land-Rover Series 3 109" trial units.

88" Gunbuggy Conversion details:

• Fitted For Rifle 106mm -(Kit LV6/MT/C100064), aka "Gunbuggy" aka M40A1 106mm Recoilless Rifle (RCL)
  • 3.4m barrel fitted with .50 cal "spotting gun" on top
  • range 750m moving target, 1700m static target
  • Ammunition HEAT 17kg round, HEPT 17kg round
  • Traverse limit 360° Elevation limits -17° to +65°
• seatbelts fitted (vehicle used as fast as possible) because doors were permanently removed as well as roof, tailgate etc
• beefed up rear suspension and rear chassis (copes with extra weight and shock)
• front face of front mudguard panels given "Minerva" treatment in Series 2 and 2A, as a reinforcement measure, and also side cutaway treatment added to Series 2A
• seat bulkhead cut away in the centre to allow gun support at centre crossmember of chassis
• barrel clamp ring fixed centrally to top of firewall (so no windscreen) -twin small windshields clamped on with attachments instead
• wipers arranged thru the 2 ventilation panels (redundant in reality as windshields only used on parade)
• weapon clamps on seatbox and ammo box on vertical area of bulkhead below dash controls
• removal of standard spare tyre mounts
• twin fuel tanks and joining tap fitted in seatbox, with toolbox in centre
• fuel fillers removed to allow for shell stowage (fuel tank caps accessed under seats)
• grab rails fitted inside top corners of rear tub
• exhaust muffler location modified to facilitate barrel cleaning rod stowage in a tube welded in line with chassis PTO hole (swing coverplate fitted)
• extensive rear bodywork alteration to facilitate stowage of six 106mm shells parallel within sides of rear body (shell tubes extend to seat bulkhead, 3 each side)
• rear floor has steel channel or rut to guide front wheel of gun "tripod" and mounting for rear legs of "tripod"
• tools to allow removal of gun to facilitate use in emplacement, airlift or "man packing" (219kg -ugh!) into high ground etc and
• camo netting mounted various, ditto radio, jerry cans, packs.

Operational Information:

• operated in pairs
• bravery required here as you have zero protection from bullets, schrapnel, artillery and tank fire etc, (in common with all fellow infantry) and you are sitting on a prime target
• hazardous when braking hard at speed in reverse
• need to hear team members instructions means unsuitability of helmets and the use of ear muffs (many operators have some hearing loss)
• crewed by (members selected for ability at speed)
  1. driver
  2. gun loader
  3. gunner
  4. "commander/navigator" (usually LCPL or CPL)
• in a 1960's context this two unit team could get very close to enemy position (by virtue of SWB mobility, low silhouette, comparatively low vehicle noise & weight -not tracked), and either dig-in and surprise ambush (then leave scene ASAP) or, in open action, come to a screaming stop and fire, reload and move off ASAP. The latter action would be over in 15-20 seconds. There is strong motivation to get "out-of-range" as mentioned above, not to mention air attack/retaliation: strictly "shoot 'n scoot"...
• Gun by Springfield U.S.A. carried 7 shell capacity divided usually to 4 armour, 3 soft target
• ex-crew comments...
  • "It's a pig to drive."
  • "Anywhere in a 30m radius to the rear is a no-go area -severe shock or bleeding ears or else."
  • "The buggy was good till the first shot - after that the fuel gauge, indicator and brake light filaments, and panel lights were all U/S."
  • "Tankies get upset on exercises. We "knocked out" heaps of Leopards in 2 hours. That's worth millions."