Canadian Arsenals and Diemaco

[ian_in_vic]

That's OK by then Ontario and Quebec will have voted in Trudeau's son with a majority, and we'll have other things to worry about, like partition.

PS: Has anyone ever looked into Liberal Party cronyism with some of these deals, I'm assuming some pretty decent money was made by someone with connections.

 

[marks 36 hamon]

I read in the local rag that C7's have been sold to the Gov forces in Afganistan (of coarse they are back ordered) .

 

[Canuck223]

In the past year Diamaco has been sold to Colt, and IVI to General Dynamics. The US needs this production surplus to meet the requirements of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, what happens when these wars inevitably end and the excess production capacity is not needed? Do we honestly think these US firms are going to close their plants in the US and throw US workers out of jobs? I don't think so. No, they will close the Canadian plants and move any useful machinery south. So, Canada will have lost the security of supply guaranteed by having domestic suppliers. This is a very bad strategic move, and anybody should recognise it as such.

In a perfect world, a group of CGN'ers buys these companies back for $.25 on the dollar.

 

[reid134]

if thats the case we will definitly need strangedays help
i my self would like to be in on that deal as well.

 

[tmac100]

DA, Troodough and my C1A1

My C1A1 is still nice and complete. Too bad it has no magazine - but I have all the parts for the mag. Bayonet and frog too It still shoots nice too, even without using a paper match stick ;-)

 

[Curtton]

I understand there was an attempt in Ottawa to sell off the inventory of spare parts to Numrich or Sarco.
Not even the C1 spare parts could be sold off...they too were destroyed.

About 300 of each gun type (C1, C2 and SMGC1) were retained for museum and technical purposes.

some was also donated to a couple of edmonton artist who made sculpture out of them, and they call it "art" .

 

[ian_in_vic]

How much does he want for that "art" - Just curious as to how they were demilled, if at all. Also, I don't think you'd need 12.3 for that, do you?.

Now I know what I'll do, I'll become an "Artist", who wants to buy my comment on the tools of violence? My first work will be 6 fully functional AK-47's in a garbage can. Next it'll be an FN, an MP5SD and a Stirling on a representation of a crusher (the crusher will NOT be functional).Unlike most artists I know these will sell.

 

[Lee Enfield]

"Diamaco Incorporated" is given photo credits in "The Metric FAL" by Stevens for photos of prototype CAMPs, FALs, Ex's & T48s.
This would tend to indicate that the CAL "reference collection" had been transfered to Diamaco before 1981.

The Metric Fal was published in 1981. Diamaco is not mentioned in the photo credits in "North American FALs" (1979) nor "UK & Commonwealth FALs" (1980).

Canadian Arsenals Limited Jan 1, 1946 - June 30, 1976.

Small Arms Limited was dissolved December 31, 1945 and it's assets were transfered to the new crown corporation Canadian Arsenals Limited Jan 1, 1946.

Was looking in the books the other day & found that I was only partially correct. There are no individual photo credits to Diamaco in "UK & Commonwealth FALs", but the front credits list Diamaco, so I would suggest that the CAL reference collection had been transfered to them by 1979.

 

[Curtton]

How much does he want for that "art" - Just curious as to how they were demilled, if at all. Also, I don't think you'd need 12.3 for that, do you?.

Now I know what I'll do, I'll become an "Artist", who wants to buy my comment on the tools of violence? My first work will be 6 fully functional AK-47's in a garbage can. Next it'll be an FN, an MP5SD and a Stirling on a representation of a crusher (the crusher will NOT be functional).Unlike most artists I know these will sell.

im pretty sure they were all demilled before they were donated.

the edmonton artists call the sculture above "burial" .

wow, your first work of 6 AK47 in a garage can, thats pretty deep, what do you call it? and why just 6 AKs? lol.

 

[sunray]

"...has no magazine..." Mags are around, but you have to look for them. Being evil and all.
"...a paper match stick..." A wooden one works better. Seems to me our intrepid troopies found 20 some places on a C1A1 that could be used to open a beer bottle. Don't know about the C7.

 

[Splatter]

"our intrepid troopies found 20 some places on a C1A1 that could be used to open a beer bottle.

And I remember how absolutley gob-smacked we were when we found out the (then brand new) Galial was manufactured with a purpose designed bottle opener.

No more buggered-up mags!

 

[TimC]

The Argentinian ones were apart from a few that ended up in museums were bulldozed of the cliffs into a deep bay in the south atlantic. We played with a few and even brought some bits back but why bother was the general attitude, we had SLRs so why have more? Off the cliff they went!
The british slrs were sold to Sierra Leone including some that we had already stated to courts of enquiry as destroyed!

 

[TheIndifferent1]

I thought Canada still had reserve war stocks of C1's?

 

[x westie]

I thought Canada still had reserve war stocks of C1's?

All Canadian war reserve stocks of C1,and C2.rifles.and 9mm C1 SMG have been destroyed....melted in a hotbath at smelters i am told.....only a few of these weapons survived in regimental musuems....or in the hands of private collections

 

[tps50701]

When Canadian Arsenals was closed down in 1976 ...i believe...and the Canadian Forces were without a 3rd and 4th maintenence line to service its inventory of small arms...what was the time frame involved before Diemaco Ltd of Kitchener was given the contract to maintain the Forces small arms.

Maybe some of you former "Gun Plummers" can help....thanks guys

3rd and 4th was done in Montreal at the supply depot - always was when I was a 421 for 14 years.

They had all the tools to do all the hard stuff - Base Maint in Lahr was able to do the work as well when we were in Europe.

 

[RePete]

"...about 1985..." Yep. Early 80's. The da of one of my Cadets, at the time, was the guy who sold them all the machinery.
"...closed down in 1976..." 1975, but close enough. Trudeau shut the place down and sold off ALL the machinery as soon as the C1A1 production run was finished. A few years later, some bright light decided to find out how much it would cost for more, if required. FN wanted roughly a grand or so EACH. CA was making them for about $400 each. Fiscal incompetence from the Socialist F**ks is nothing new.
The CF did have a 3rd level maintenance, but it wasn't Diemaco. Don't know who it was though. There was a huge inventory of C1A1's, pistols and MG's anyway. Most of which has since been destroyed.

3rd and 4th was done in Montreal at the supply depot - always was when I was a 421 for 14 years.

They had all the tools to do all the hard stuff - Base Maint in Lahr was able to do the work as well when we were in Europe.

It's called 202 workshop.

 

[UCSPanther]

It ought to be made a capital offense to destroy a C1, C2 or similar weapon that was used by the Canadian forces.

I'd love to get a C1, but I can't because I'm not grandfathered.

 

[Pblatzz]

Really I fail to understand the destruction of War reserves? They are good weopons and should be kept? We will need them eventually, foolish to think that we won't be in another fight to the end war? Why destroy them, another ?? agenda?

 

[Shelldrake]

Really I fail to understand the destruction of War reserves? They are good weopons and should be kept? We will need them eventually, foolish to think that we won't be in another fight to the end war? Why destroy them, another ?? agenda?

It was all a matter of cost. It was costing too much to store them, and to much to maintain them in storage. Costs including having to count them on a regular basis, and to do continual minimal maintenance to ensure they didn't rust out. Not big money really, but even saving about $25k a year was seen as a good savings.

When the army declared them surplus to their needs, the supply system got rid of them all.

I believe they were offered to other freindly nations, but there were no takers.

As for war stocks, I don't even think CDA keeps any real warstocks anymore. We are even giving C7s to the Afgan army from our supply system.

 

[Curtton]

I believe they were offered to other freindly nations, but there were no takers.

i havent heard of that before. do you know to who?