OFE/C Bofors Restoration

[Brad Mills]

Inside the large chests...

1st Chest:









2nd Chest:

[Brad Mills]

So, tonight I was able to use some new found tools to assemble the elevation springs. Its amazing how simple things go together (or come apart) with the right tool...

Mounted tubes and rods, awating the springs...



First set partially installed using the spring compressor...



Close ups of the compressor...



Springs locked in place with the proper tool, ready to remove the spring compressor...



Compressor removed, lock still in place holding the three large springs, just starting to tread on the nut



The three tools used for the job...

[chris vickery]

Brad, we need MORE!!!

Like a good mini-series I have been following your restoration in earnest. Your pictures and details are great and its super to see such enthusiasm.

May I ask, was this unit here in Canada already or did you import it?

[chris vickery]

Further to my last, I am also on dial up so the pics are killing me but they are surely worth the wait...

[Brad Mills]

Chris,

Just for you fresh photos as of 10 mins ago...

-Working on the armoured shields tonight, inner shields loosly mounted, spacers and outer shields just painted and on the drying rack.

-Foot rests are installed
-Seats are repaired and just painted.







Some of the brass tags have been refinished and installed as well.





Now, the big news, last night I installed the breech ring, then followed by the barrel. I wont admit why, but I had to install the barrel twice....I know, I know Mike :-)

I have left the barrel in the original finish rather then painting it, I just cleaned off the surface rust with a wire wheel. May get some Brownells Oxphoblu this winter and give it a coat...If I keep it oiled, I won't have a rust problem in this state though.



Is it not an Artillery Regiment tradition to crack open an ice cold Alexander Keiths after installing the barrel for the first time? :-)

[Brad Mills]

Chris,

To answer your question the gun came from Al Fraser at Collector Source in Acton, Ont. I understand from Al he sourced it in Canada and does not know the history. Hard to say if it was overseas or not.

I understood very little came back to Canada following the war, I assume this would apply to Artillery as well would it not?

[RHClarke]

Originally posted by BMills

Is it not an Artillery Regiment tradition to crack open an ice cold Alexander Keiths after installing the barrel for the first time? :-)

Once the guns are properly serviced and put away, and when "Stand Easy" is called, a beer would be in order... In your case Brad, a Champagne would be in order. Excellent work!

[chris vickery]

Well ,well Brad. Right in my own back yard! The boys over at CS are old time friends of mine, and not too far neither.

The reason that I asked was that I saw a couple Bofors advertised in England on Milweb the past few months and I just wondered if it came over with Gunners toys.

[Brad Mills]

Update 09.29.07

Shields installed today as well as the seats.

Brake work started as well, info and photos can be found HERE

[chris vickery]

Brad, check your post re brake questions....
Chris

[Paul Singleton]

Geoff Winnington-Ball
OC MLU, AKA 'Jif'

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3985
Oops......
ATTENTION BRAD... having slaved away all bloody day, my attention span was not what it should be, and I inadvertently deleted your two Bofors brakes threads in the process of merging them.

Sir, you have my profoundest apologies. I'm going to step away from this idiot box for a little while now....


__________________
SUNRAY SENDS AND ENDS

[Brad Mills]

Rob,

After going over tonight what I have left to do to the Bofors, I don't think its going to be a problem to meet the Christmas Deadline, delivery included.

What Tac signs did you want me to paint on her for you?

[rob love]

Brad
Is this how you are getting this project past your wife, by telling her you are doing it up for me? Shameful!! Listen, salvage your marriage now before it is too late and just ship the damn thing to me as is. Actually, keep working for another 3 or 4 days so it will be completed.

Go ahead and surprise me on the markings, although I am partial to the Italian campaign. And don't forget the red bow you promised.

[Brad Mills]

Fresh Photos...

Everything in its proper place except for the autoloader which is the last part to refinish. Installed the sights over the weekend. Looking for a pair of foresights if any ne has any ideas as well as the tools for the deck plate (mallet and pry-bar) I managed to find the leather securing straps for the deck tool which is a nice touch

Also have one complete Stiff-Key sight assy(same sight assy as installed on my Bofors) to trade for bits if there are any takers.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Amazing job, Brad, in what must be a record time! Sir, you are to be commended...

[Brad Mills]

Thanks Geoff.

Its been a fun project, and best of all, no wireing harness, no leaking transmissions, no smoking engines to deal with :-)

A couple of snaps from this morning, outside. Its surprizing how big this thing is all together. The photos are not the best for this, but the tow vehicle is a Ford F-350 to give you a sense of the size.

I might mention that trying to back this into a garage is a challange. Had to remove the tail gate on the truck to give me a fighting chance. I wonder how a pintle hook on the front bumper of the F-350 would look?

[rob love]

There are two answers for getting trailers like this into a garage. One is, as you mentioned, the pintle hook on the front of the vehicle. I always installed one on the front of my MRTs when I was in the military, and have the receiver on the front of the old Ford for my home use. Amazing how accurately you can push a behicle onto a trailer using the front hitch and an A-frame.

The second method is one we used with the articulated refuelling tenders. You knock a second garage door into the back of the garage so you can drive through. Of course, you may have to get inventive with the better half trying to explain the neccessity of that one, especially after having installed that garage door opener.

Great job on the Bofors, by the way. Now what are you going to do for an encore?

[Dave Page]

Hi Brad,
great job! It looks to be brand new, if you took a black and white photograph it would look as if taken at the factory.
As far as backing goes, they will jack-knife in a heartbeat, though it can be done it is far easier (and faster) to dismount and manhandle it.
So what is next, a fully equipped LAAT to tow it?
Cheers,
Dave

[charlie fitton]

Mr M

What can you tell me about that telescopic sight? Was it used on other guns?


fitton

[Brad Mills]

Mr. F

Not 100% sure where else these scopes were used, I have seen them before though.

They are marked

R.E.L.
1943
No. 22C mk II

I don't have the Pams on Bofors Drill, but I assume these were used only for ground targets?

Perhaps someone can shed some light on this...

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

It's also the sight used on the 6pdr (if you don't want to wait until you see the whites of their eyes ), so ground use against light armour is a reasonable assumption.

I'll also draw your attention to numerous comments made by the late George Blackburn regarding the extended use of light AA units being employed for 'pepperpot' shoots in the major assaults (they burned out barrels like they were going out of style). Those would have required a ground sight as well, methinks.

[Godwin Hampton]

Quote from "Gun Drill for 40mm AA gun....Land Service...1945"

Section 33.- Engagement of ground and sea targets
Ground and sea targets may be engaged at Gun Control up to 2300 yards range, using adjustable hindsights.
Tanks, however, should not normally be engaged at ranges beyond 500 yards, and A.tk ammunition will be used. Unarmoured targets will usually be engaged with H.E ammunition.
The Detachment Commander indicates the target to 2 and 1 in that order, and orders it, e.g., "Tanks right, moving left, 3 tanks, last tank" or " E-boats, front, moving left, front boat ".
2 and 3 report "On" when they see the target in their open sights or telescopes, whichever are in use.....

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on a really professional job! The army would not have done it better!

[Wayne McGee]

A couple of points I have noted about these particular sights are;
1. The reticle pattern is very simple, a cross hair and a couple of lead marks. Besides determining lead, the marks could aid in determining the range to a target of a known size, eg. if a medium tank (PzkpfwIV) appears in your sight from the left lead mark to the right lead mark, the tank is 300yds, if the medium tank fits between a lead mark and the verticle line, the tank is 500yds.
However, for engaging moving tgts I would have expected something a little more complex.
2. There is no evidence that an eyepiece of any kind was ever fitted, not that I would ever consider having that sight anywhere near my eye when the trigger was depressed!, but a rubber eyecup would aid in setting up proper eye relief.
Note: the size/range estimates in para 1. are just wild-assed-guesses.
I find the thought of firing 120 rds per min of AP at a panzerIV at 500yds most appealling. You might convince me that no rounds would pierce the armour but, boy o' boy I'd sure ring his bell!

Cheers

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Canada

License: British

Factory: Otis Fensom Elevator Co, Hamilton, Ontario

Production:
Factory built in 1940, ready 1st March 1941. 3.000 workers. First gun delivered August 1941 and test fired 10th Nov 1941. Production rate as per March 1943: 350 guns/month. More than 5.000 made. Factory sold to Studebaker in 1946.

Type:

Gun:
C Mk 1 = British Mk III

Carriage:
C Mk 2 = British Mk II

[daninnm]

I have an M3 Bofors gun mount that I need a few parts for and a trailer as well. Thought you might be of some assistance or have some spares for sale since you are way far along on your restoration. Mine is an M3 single 40mm mount and I need the trailer. (Have heard that the Candian trailer is different but I do not know if that is so)
NEED: (1)set of hand cranks
(2)the drive shaft for the elevation crank side (8" longm or so)
(3)cover for the azimuth side drive shaft (goes down from crank worm gear and has a grease fitting in top.
(4)the round cover for one of the tubes that sticks out the front of the gun (part of recoil mechanism I believe)

If you know where any of this stuff can be obtained - please advise - thanks.
Dan in NM

[charlie fitton]

if memory serves, the right and left marks on the the cross hairs are reversed...

[Tony Smith]

The No22 sight has the large lens to the front and the smaller lens is the eye end, thus the R + L are the right way around. If fitted the other way around, the view will be the same (nil to very little magnification), but the reticle reversed.
Aust produced No22 sights had "EYE END" stamped on the smaller end of the tube.

[Wayne McGee]

Ditto, for both of Brads' sights, "Eye End".

[Godwin Hampton]

I beg to differ....

From the 25pdr User Handbook re. the anti-tank sighting telescope;

" ..the divisions on the right being marked with an L and those on the left with an R."

If the target ( tank ) is crossing in front of the gun from left to right, the gun will have to be aimed further to the right ( aim-off ). So in the sight picture the central cross will be forward of the tank to the right, but the aim-off divisions, between the central cross and the target, will be read off the left scale!

So the L and R on the scales do not show how the telescope should be oriented, but rather which scale to use according to the direction the target is taking.

With an approaching target no aim-off need be applied, so the central cross is laid directly on the target.

Hope I did not muddy up the waters.....

[charlie fitton]

Thank you mr H for coming to my aid.

Also - if I may point out the the L and R would themselves be backward....