Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
You and me both, brother. I want a big-arsed cleaning rod, some bronze wool, and about a gallon of that CLP goodness... 
You like milsurp refurbs? Here's one of the bigger ones...
- Thread starter Dark Alley Dan
- Start date
I feel like a wipe-out vendor could do a good demo with this. Just drop a whole can down the barrel with the breech closed and fire the gun. Firing pin should rupture the can and foam up the whole barrel
As a side note - if you're looking for a brush for the bore, they make pretty decent chimney brushes in nylon, brass, tempered spring, and stainless bristles all the way up to 4 inch that might work for you. They aren't terribly expensive either.
As a side note - if you're looking for a brush for the bore, they make pretty decent chimney brushes in nylon, brass, tempered spring, and stainless bristles all the way up to 4 inch that might work for you. They aren't terribly expensive either.
- Location
- Ol' North Shore
Wow just wow. Good luck finding what u need!
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
A tank of diesel fuel works just as well. I've also started using automatic transmission fluid on some rusty bits. It seems to creep very well.
Last edited:
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
'Morning, guys.
No idea re: this piece's particular history. The Lt. Col. says it's been there for as long as he has and then some. Looks like it sat outside a while - there's gritty sand in the action and a bunch of little stuff was pinched off her.
The 25 pounder was indeed the replacement for the 18. There's a surprising amount of info on the web about them. They were much loved by those who used them, and could throw 'em out there fast enough that on at least on one occasion German prisoners asked about the British auto arty piece.
No idea re: this piece's particular history. The Lt. Col. says it's been there for as long as he has and then some. Looks like it sat outside a while - there's gritty sand in the action and a bunch of little stuff was pinched off her.
The 25 pounder was indeed the replacement for the 18. There's a surprising amount of info on the web about them. They were much loved by those who used them, and could throw 'em out there fast enough that on at least on one occasion German prisoners asked about the British auto arty piece.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
OK, job one done:
C. $70 for the manual in .pdf, another $29 USD to get "PDF Unblocker" working on the computer so I could print it, plus God knows how much in toner and paper, but we now have a manual.
Next job - removal/checking/refurb as required of the "striker block", likely next week. That's the wee bit with the t-handle at the very arse of the gun:
Pics to follow.
C. $70 for the manual in .pdf, another $29 USD to get "PDF Unblocker" working on the computer so I could print it, plus God knows how much in toner and paper, but we now have a manual.
Next job - removal/checking/refurb as required of the "striker block", likely next week. That's the wee bit with the t-handle at the very arse of the gun:
Pics to follow.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Old rubber tires are perishable. There MIGHT be someone somewhere in the world who has the molds, but for almost everything wartime and British, they aren't making those anymore.
FWIW, the Royal Canadian Dragoons have a wartime Staghound that served in the Netherlands in '44-'45. Some Dutch coins were found nestled in under the fittings deep under the floors. It is rolling on repurposed HLVW military truck tires, because the original runflats are no longer satisfactory (or safe).
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
OK, update:
Met some of the lads in the outfit Wednesday night. Good people, very interested in helping out. HUGE institutional support on this job, which is wonderful.
Got the gun to #### and click once we figured out we had that one piece of the firing mechanism in backwards. Such are the trials of the neophyte. Learning new stuff daily, it seems.
Ran a hedgehog down the bore, producing a horrifying cloud of rust. That will not do. Job one next week is a pail of CLP, the same hedgehog, and much scrubbing. I will likely employ profanity as well, as required.
We are missing an essential piece - the wee t-handled cocking piece on the firing block has wandered away. We would very much appreciate either the loan of one that we could copy and return (paying postage both ways, of course) or drawings sufficiently detailed to recreate one from them.
Does anyone know of one we can borrow? I have a couple of very gracious offers to fab one if we have an original to work with, plus an offer of a NOS one out of England for a price I'm appreciating, and yet finding a bit startling. Don't doubt it's worth it, but it seems everything in this realm costs a goodly bit of cash...
Cheers,
Dan
Met some of the lads in the outfit Wednesday night. Good people, very interested in helping out. HUGE institutional support on this job, which is wonderful.
Got the gun to #### and click once we figured out we had that one piece of the firing mechanism in backwards. Such are the trials of the neophyte. Learning new stuff daily, it seems.
Ran a hedgehog down the bore, producing a horrifying cloud of rust. That will not do. Job one next week is a pail of CLP, the same hedgehog, and much scrubbing. I will likely employ profanity as well, as required.
We are missing an essential piece - the wee t-handled cocking piece on the firing block has wandered away. We would very much appreciate either the loan of one that we could copy and return (paying postage both ways, of course) or drawings sufficiently detailed to recreate one from them.
Does anyone know of one we can borrow? I have a couple of very gracious offers to fab one if we have an original to work with, plus an offer of a NOS one out of England for a price I'm appreciating, and yet finding a bit startling. Don't doubt it's worth it, but it seems everything in this realm costs a goodly bit of cash...
Cheers,
Dan
angrysoldier
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- under your bed
I may have a manual in the shop. There is a company in the uk that has parts. i will enquire on tuesday when im back in the shop.
These days light colonels are made before 40, and a posting in one place is typically under 5 years. If you really want to know the piece's history, ask the oldest civilian on base - probably a janitor or something like that.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Update:
Wednesday was very productive. Dropped by early with a bag full of tools and blood in my eye. That firing block was gonna come out or else I was going to apply harsher language and more animal brute force.
You may recall the firing block. It's the wee box on the arse end of the breech.
Last week we pulled out the Firing Block Catch, switched the safety to "safe", and attempted to rotate the block clockwise as per the manual. Should go as easy as this:
(skip to :32)
[youtube]bfwwEdR7eLo?t=32[/youtube]
Sadly, the combined force of a brawny WO and me shouting encouragement accomplished nothing. She was on there as tight as if she was welded. I retired to consider strategy. Fast forward to this past Wednesday, when I returned to the battlefield with a soft-faced hammer and a plan.
Scribed around the perimeter of the piece with a dental tool, applied penetrating oil, waited five minutes, whispering soft words of affection to her the whole time. Switched the gun to "safe", pulled the disassembly catch rearward, applied torque. Nothing. Hammer time.
Gentle taps showed slight progress. Good. Not breaking stuff. Hit harder. Rotation.
More tappage. Interrupted threads disengage, block is free. Feeling pretty Indiana Jones about now.
There she is. About two pounds.
Some rust present, but the lads who last had her apart were generous with the oil and grease. Zero pitting or problems, just dried grease and paint adhesion.
Flushed with success, we move to the breechblock itself.
After tapping out the Breech Operating Handle Buffer, the handle itself is free to come all the way down, which allows the breech block to drop off the bottom of the gun into the hands of a helpful MWO who happened to be wandering by. Thanks again, mate.
Looks horrifying, I know, but most of that was dried grease and oil and came off with gentle scraping using a razor blade. There's very little if any rust on that breechblock. Weighs a good 60 pounds.
Underside of the block, in case you dig numbers. Many stamps on this old girl. The cartouche aficionados among us would be thrilled.
I also pulled the firing linkage off the port side of the breech ring - two heavy brass fittings and a big ol' steel pushrod to run the whole train, all of it painted green.
Took the firing linkage and firing block home for teardown, cleaning, paint stripping, relubrication, and affection. Teaching the CFSC this weekend, so I lose two days, but come Monday I should have more pics.
Quick question - I want to get that grisly green paint off the entire breech end of things. They were operated in the white, and in combination with the heavy brass fittings, probably looked pretty damned regal. Any suggestions re: paint stripper that's kind to steel and brass?
Wednesday was very productive. Dropped by early with a bag full of tools and blood in my eye. That firing block was gonna come out or else I was going to apply harsher language and more animal brute force.
You may recall the firing block. It's the wee box on the arse end of the breech.
Last week we pulled out the Firing Block Catch, switched the safety to "safe", and attempted to rotate the block clockwise as per the manual. Should go as easy as this:
(skip to :32)
[youtube]bfwwEdR7eLo?t=32[/youtube]
Sadly, the combined force of a brawny WO and me shouting encouragement accomplished nothing. She was on there as tight as if she was welded. I retired to consider strategy. Fast forward to this past Wednesday, when I returned to the battlefield with a soft-faced hammer and a plan.
Scribed around the perimeter of the piece with a dental tool, applied penetrating oil, waited five minutes, whispering soft words of affection to her the whole time. Switched the gun to "safe", pulled the disassembly catch rearward, applied torque. Nothing. Hammer time.
Gentle taps showed slight progress. Good. Not breaking stuff. Hit harder. Rotation.
More tappage. Interrupted threads disengage, block is free. Feeling pretty Indiana Jones about now.
There she is. About two pounds.
Some rust present, but the lads who last had her apart were generous with the oil and grease. Zero pitting or problems, just dried grease and paint adhesion.
Flushed with success, we move to the breechblock itself.
After tapping out the Breech Operating Handle Buffer, the handle itself is free to come all the way down, which allows the breech block to drop off the bottom of the gun into the hands of a helpful MWO who happened to be wandering by. Thanks again, mate.
Looks horrifying, I know, but most of that was dried grease and oil and came off with gentle scraping using a razor blade. There's very little if any rust on that breechblock. Weighs a good 60 pounds.
Underside of the block, in case you dig numbers. Many stamps on this old girl. The cartouche aficionados among us would be thrilled.
I also pulled the firing linkage off the port side of the breech ring - two heavy brass fittings and a big ol' steel pushrod to run the whole train, all of it painted green.
Took the firing linkage and firing block home for teardown, cleaning, paint stripping, relubrication, and affection. Teaching the CFSC this weekend, so I lose two days, but come Monday I should have more pics.
Quick question - I want to get that grisly green paint off the entire breech end of things. They were operated in the white, and in combination with the heavy brass fittings, probably looked pretty damned regal. Any suggestions re: paint stripper that's kind to steel and brass?
Last edited:
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Question Dan...is the firing/striker pin in the fired or cocked position. The reason I ask is does the t-handle collarave to fit over the square bit that protrudes or just but up against it at the end of the threads.
And just an fyi...common drug store Iodine will work better as a "loosener" in extreme cases than a wd-40 type of product (and you will run into "extreme" cases before this project is don I will bet).
And just an fyi...common drug store Iodine will work better as a "loosener" in extreme cases than a wd-40 type of product (and you will run into "extreme" cases before this project is don I will bet).
