MLU FORUM - Anyone recognise these bore brushes?

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Anyone recognise these bore brushes?

Found a bunch of these bore brushes out at my favorite scrapyard. They seem to be 105mm and fit the standard 105 howitzer cleaning stave, but they are longer than the typical 105 brush and do not seem to be the (longer) borecap brush either. Does anyone recognize what they are from? Considering the scrapyard's history, I would guess at either 106 recoiless or else 105 Leopard.

In the photo below are 3 of the brushed I found next to the typical 105 brush and it's storage bag.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...2012-20010.jpg

Whatever I can find on the internet for the 106 shows either the standard 105 howitzer bore brush or else the bore cap brush. I cannot find any ref numbers on these either, which is strange since both the German and the US army are pretty anal about putting numbers on everything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love (Post 162645)

Found a bunch of these bore brushes out at my favorite scrapyard. They seem to be 105mm and fit the standard 105 howitzer cleaning stave, but they are longer than the typical 105 brush and do not seem to be the (longer) borecap brush either. Does anyone recognize what they are from? Considering the scrapyard's history, I would guess at either 106 recoiless or else 105 Leopard. In the photo below are 3 of the brushed I found next to the typical 105 brush and it's storage bag.

Rob, Check with the local gunners to see if the larger brushes are from the demo mechanical bore cleaning machines we trialed a few years back.

I can't see folks hauling on those long brushes - sometimes it was a chore for all seven members of a 105 det to pull thru a barrel - particularly if the barrel was new and the bore brush was new.

Fond memories...

Mechanical bore cleaning machines? If the artillery adopted those, then there would be very little left for a gunner to do in 10 months a year that they aren't in the field. I know what you mean about the effort required to pull a brush through a bore. Not personally mind you, but I watched it done many times. Come to think of it, I have pulled the bofors barrel on my own, but the difference between 40mm and 105 mm is quite fair.

I did ask one of the guys who has been around for some 25 years, and he has not seen them before.

I am pretty sure these have been around for quite a while. The part of the yard I found the first batch of them in dates back to the 70s and 80s. There are quite a number of them between the two yards which almost makes me doubt 106 recoiless. There were only 6 or 8 of them in Winnipeg.....hardly justifies this quantity of brushes.

I took one apart tonight and there are absolutely no markings anywhere on them. I guess they will remain a mystery for now. Can any of the black hatters tell if these are leo?

Here is a quick shot of some of my other finds that weekend. The Canadian style telescope storage box was the best find of the day. I already had a US one, so the lid from this one has been removed from the damaged box and will be riveted onto the other case.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...2012-20006.jpg

Keeping Gunners Busy

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love (Post 162688)

Mechanical bore cleaning machines? If the artillery adopted those, then there would be very little left for a gunner to do in 10 months a year that they aren't in the field. ...Here is a quick shot of some of my other finds that weekend. The Canadian style telescope storage box was the best find of the day. I already had a US one, so the lid from this one has been removed from the damaged box and will be riveted onto the other case.

There are still floors to be swept, parking lots to be cleaned, rocks to paint, and gopher holes to fill. As for the kit you found in the yard, I kind of find myself getting sentimental as a good portion of my youth was spent using and cleaning that kit. Nice to see some of it is finding a good home, you closet gunner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHClarke (Post 162690)

you closet gunner.

ouch!!!!

No such affliction I will assure you.

While you are on the subject, any leads on cleaning kit for the 25Pdr? In particular, brushes and stave. Or loading tools?

Perry

All I have to spare for a 25 pdr is the quick release and the come-a-long for doing the recouperator pullback. The quick release is an ok size item, but the chain hoist is a hernia waiting to happen.

The three on the left are 105mm Leopard horse hair or brass brissel brushes. The eye at the top should have a split pin so it can come apart/unscrew. I have some about and will get some photos. The right one looks very similar to what is used by M1A1 crews. Now if it measures 105mm and not 120mm then it could be the earlier M1 with 105 gun.

However the first 3, I am sure of.

Easo

Thanks Easo, that's the information I was looking for. It's been over 30 years since I was on the leopards and have no recollection of the bore brushes. The one on the right is the standard 105 brush used on the 105 howitzers and 106 recoiless.

They look like Leopard, although the 105mm Centurion was was very similar. However, we could always tell the difference as the German Leopard ones are metric threaded while the British ones were British thread type (not sure which one BSW, BSF or BSP) and would not thread onto the Leopard gun staves. US 105mm will be threaded NC or NPT I imagine.