Price check on Sherman 76mm cannon breech block

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Filthy

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Yeah Guys I know this is an odd one, but here's the backgound

I was having some gunsmith work done by the father of a friend of mine. While at his workshop chatting with him I noticed a breech block sitting on one of his work tables and asked him what it was.

He said "it's out of a Sherman tank wanna' buy it?" My first thought was oh yeah but I thought of the look on my wifes face if I came home with it. Plus the fact I'd never have a Sherman to go with it, I had to decline.

He told me he took it out of a hard target at CFB Petawawa back in the 70's. He was a Engineer in the regular forces at that time. Back in 1951 when he was 15 he lied about his age and joined a Militia Armoured regt (The 8th Princess Louise N.B. Hussars)

He said that back then a lot of the senior NCO's and officers were WW2 vets and once in a while on the ranges 5 of them would crew
a tank together and show the young guys how the "pros" did it.

I posted a note about it on a Sheman tank newsgroup not having any
idea of value or if there'd be interest in it. I got back 3 replies from people wanting it, all asking me how much I wanted for it. I have no idea of the value so I called up the owner and he told me "get as much as you can for it boy":eek:

He did a lot of free gunsmithing on some of my rifles recently so I'd like to do right by him and get a fair price for the breech block. So anyone have any ideas? Here's a couple pics of the beast.

IMG_2149.jpg


IMG_2152.jpg
 
I have one of those blocks kicking around as well, except without the reddish hue. As for value, on this side of the border it is not as great as on the south side of the border. Log onto the G503.com forums and in the armor section there, you will see these type blocks sell, usually quite quickly, in the price range that was quoted above. Here in Canada, you might be waiting a while to make a sale, as there just aren't that many 76mm guns floating around.

Oh yeah, I did have one of the guns too.
 
I really love this site. Seems like no matter what question you ask
somebody has the answer. Thank you:D


1000 to 600 in the States! Wow I thought it might be worth a couple hundred max. LOL he offered to split the money with me when I told him I would try and sell it for him online. I said no I'm just going to do it just for the fun
of seeing what it's worth.

Stencollector, are you saying He can't sell it to someone in the States?
 
Hmmm,I've got a crew comd's turret traversing control and that big brass manufacturer's plate from a Centurion. Also a periscope and one nut from a Sherman(easier to move around than the road wheel I once had,but never quite got around to making into a table base).

I also have a complete gunsight from an F-86 Sabre and a boresighter for a P-51 Mustang that I still need to find a place for around the house. Having joined the Army when polishing brass was still a major task,I've hung onto 17pdr,20pdr(a relic of the Jordanian efforts on the Golan) and 105mm tank shells. Also have a saluting blank shell that was one of the last ones fired from a gaspy old Centurion in Wainwright way back when.

My greatest treasure is the framed data plate from an M135 Deuce that I rolled up in the mountains on a winter scheme and had PCC'd. My guys presented me with it as a vivid reminder of why officers should'nt drive anything bigger than a jeep.

I really must downsize some more,but fair is fair. Both of my wives had a humungous piano and pump organ that neither could play,but kept as cherished family heirlooms. At least the pump organ is smaller and lighter than the piano was. Now why could'nt their grannies have played the harmonica instead?
 
"...without the reddish hue..." The rust. Use a brass wire wheel to take it off. You'll get more.
You can have a Duplex drive Sherman for $595,000.00 US. Gotta ship it from Normandy though. It was recovered from the bottom of the ocean off Omaha Beach in 1974.
 
You can also see a DD Sherman at Juno Beach in Normandy. This one was used by the First Hussars on D Day. It was recovered off the seabed in later yrs and is now preserved as a memorial on the beach.

The Patton Museum at Ft Knox,KY is also a great place to sniff around these things. I was on course there once and found it a great museum,no doubt even improved since then.

I don't know what is left at the RCAC museum in Borden nowadays,but there used to be a pretty good collection of Cdn tanks there,incl a Sherman Firefly,a Sherman flail,and Cdn built Ram and Valentine tanks. I know that the M4A4 that used to be in front of the old RCAC School HQ was later moved to Ottawa and installed in front of the Armoury at Cartier Square. This particular tank was used by the GGFG in NW Europe when they were an armd regt in the 4th Armd Div.
 
I know that the M4A4 that used to be in front of the old RCAC School HQ was later moved to Ottawa and installed in front of the Armoury at Cartier Square. This particular tank was used by the GGFG in NW Europe when they were an armd regt in the 4th Armd Div.
Click to expand...

the tank above was moved to the CWM
 
Filthy said:
Stencollector, are you saying He can't sell it to someone in the States?
Click to expand...

You can sell it to someone in the states no problem. Shipping it to the states is where the problem comes in. It will be a controlled good, and need the export and import permits. The US isn't big on it's citizens having large bore weapons, although it is the breech ring that is the registered item down there. They would have to approve the import.
 
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