I didn't realize they recycle the brass. They must just dump the drum and scrap it when the plane gets back, no way they reload to save money.

I didn't realize they recycle the brass. They must just dump the drum and scrap it when the plane gets back, no way they reload to save money.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrt

There's a machine that hooks up to a couple giant ammo cans, one for the "brass" (if I recall correctly it's aluminum) to load it. Then it's off to DRMO. Shooting it the first time was pretty amazing (remember no 2 seaters, so you're all by yourself).  Part of the rationale for keeping the "brass" in the jet was so it wouldn't fall on friendlies--it also helped, a bit anyway, with CG.  We actually had to have ballast plates in the nose wheel well depending on how much ammo was or was not in the gun.  Two 35hp hydraulic motors (one off of each hydraulic system) to rotate it up to full speed.  Rounds are percussion fired vice the electronic primers in the Vulcan series.  I've got just over 2000hrs in the A-10--flew it from 1980-1986.  A little more info:

General Dynamics blurb on 30mm


Loading GAU-8

Cheers!

That's what I was always told.  

I had two fairchild A-10 desk models and a nice variety of internal advertising stuff including 30 mm inert rounds from when my father was stationed in RAF Bentwaters.  We were there for the first deliveries of the A-10's to that base.  
I wish I still had them,  they disappeared in the chaos when my parents divorced and us kids were drug along with my crazy mom and her moron family.  All our stuff was left behind.  I did drag one of the inert 30's with me,  so I still have that.  

The A-10 is designed for close air support.  Immagine a casing the size of the GAU 8's falling on your heads from an aircraft that is hauling ass and flying over your head.  

It was also a matter of helping to keep CG reasonably intact.  Hence feeding the empty casings in to the rear of the drum.

One other interesting thing about the gun that I forgot.  It backs up after you come off the trigger to the last unfired round so no unfired rounds go back into the back of the drum.  Not so with the Vulcan. You get live rounds mixed in with the brass.