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Old 09-03-07, 17:40
Gunner Gunner is offline
T' Guns thank God t' guns
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Near Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 776
Default Pintle ponderings

Hi Guys:

Add this to the equation:

Trailers generally have a long drawbar to which the lunette (ring) is attached, welded or cast integrally.

US designed or modified artillery has much the same, frequently with a rotating draw bar that can double as a hand spike when in action (the benefit is that when the gun is hooked to the truck the tongue weight is reduced by lifting the trails higher plus the spades won't drag when cresting. Additionally, you want the draw bar out of the way when the spades bed in on recoil).

British/Commonwealth artillery had very short to nonexistant draw bars... the lunette is usually attached directly to the trail leg. As a result B/C artillery cannot be hooked to pintles that lie between the truck's frame rails or turning corners becomes a disaster as the spades grind against the truck frame.

By placing the pintle proud of the frame rails (like a greyhound's nackers) or below the frame rails you eliminate the problem.

At the S&P we are constantly faced with this headache as we frequently pull heavy guns with a modern M series or civilian vehicle until we get to the show or parade venue and then transfer them to their proper gun tractor. Careful assesment of the turn angle becomes important when its a nice shiney chrome bumper that is at risk.

Why not leave the right gun with the right tractor? Well, for example our three ton 40mm Bofors reduces the top speed of the LAAT to 23 mph. She can do nearly 40 without. Can make the difference between a one hour drive and an exhausting nightmare... ask Rob!

In the day of the CMP, specialist gun tractors were supreme. I wouldn't say that non gun tractor CMPs were intended to haul artillery if they were fitted with a low slung pintle, but it does add another dimension to the discussion.



Meltin' Mike in Ghana
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Mike Calnan
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("Everywhere", the sole Battle Honour of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery)
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