Quote:
Originally Posted by Wpns 421
One of the oldest pieces of gear in service today in the CF are the Boffin 40MM guns that are on the coastal ships. These guns were put into service during WWII and are still serving today. The mounts have been changed but the gun remains the same. I worked on the guns in CFB Gagetown in the Air Defence part of the Artillery school.
A couple years ago I say a video by DND showing the new improverd mounts and the trainers, impressive new mounts beautiful old guns. Gilles
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I know a guy at DRES who was involved in a Bofors project just a couple years ago. I think it was an update to modernise and install them onto some coast guard vessels. In the end I think his comment was: "They really are yesterday's gun."
Actually Gilles, perhaps you can recall better than I, but it seems to me that some of the C1 howitzer caissons were US made, and some a mix of US made caisson and SIL barrel, breech ring and recoil. The caissons I recall were WW2 dated.
DRES in Suffield also had some other long obsolete equipment around including a never released M37 3/4 ton, and a 155 long tom which I saw just a few years ago.
As to weapons, the Cno7s were 1944 to 1946, while the Cno4s were potentially dated 1941 and newer. If we are going to talk general equipment though, then the oldest item I can recall still in service are the Stanley prismatic compasses, some of which date back to the first world war.
Another vehicle I just recalled are a couple of Centurians which languish at the recovery training area in Borden. They would get pushed down the hill just to be winched back up. Haven't been back in a decade, so can't confirm that they are still there.