▁early ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁US MC ▁H - 3 4 s ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁hel ic opter ▁gun ships ▁in ▁the ater , ▁fitted ▁with ▁the ▁Tem por ary ▁Kit - 1 ▁( T K - 1 ), ▁compr ising ▁two ▁M 6 0 C ▁machine ▁guns ▁and ▁two ▁ 1 9 - shot ▁ 2 . 7 5 ▁in ch ▁ro cket ▁pod s . ▁The ▁operations ▁were ▁met ▁with ▁mixed ▁enthus ias m , ▁and ▁the ▁armed ▁H - 3 4 s , ▁known ▁as ▁" St ingers " ▁were ▁quickly ▁ph ased ▁out . ▁The ▁T K - 1 ▁k it ▁would ▁form ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁T K - 2 ▁k it ▁used ▁later ▁on ▁the ▁U H - 1 E ▁hel ic op ters ▁of ▁the ▁US MC . ▁▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁also ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁H - 3 4 ▁gun ships ▁armed ▁M 2 ▁. 5 0 ▁cal iber ▁machine - g uns ▁and ▁ 2 . 7 5 - inch ▁rock ets . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁a ▁CH - 3 4 ▁was ▁armed ▁with ▁two ▁M 2 ▁. 5 0 ▁cal iber ▁machine ▁guns , ▁four ▁M 1 9 1 9 ▁. 3 0 ▁cal iber ▁machine ▁guns , ▁forty ▁ 2 . 7 5 - inch ▁rock ets , ▁two ▁ 5 - inch ▁high ▁velocity ▁aer ial ▁rock ets ▁( H V ▁AR ), ▁plus ▁two ▁additional ▁. 3 0 ▁cal