Found this in a box the other day...who can identify this gadget?


I'll even give you the ass'y numbers:

Look's like a maingun firing pin...M60-series tank perhaps?!

Mark

Agreed, a M105 firing pin. Missing only the spring that fit in the nylon ring. With a worn spring the tip would be sheared off when the breach closed.

Sullivan013

Yup, firing pin out of an M60A3 105mm main gun (M68 cannon, wasn't it?). Also found in M1 Abrams (105mm ones).

I have lotsa fun stumping my gearhead friends with that bit of hardware.

quote:

Originally posted by sullivan013:
Agreed, a M105 firing pin. Missing only the spring that fit in the nylon ring. With a worn spring the tip would be sheared off when the breach closed.

Sullivan013

I thought that the spring pushed the firing pin forward after/as teh breech closed and that the "firing pin retractor" pulled it back out of the way when the breech dropped. weak spring led to "Misfire!" followed quickly by "Oh S***!!"

quote:

Originally posted by DeathDealer6:
I thought that the spring pushed the firing pin forward after/as teh breech closed and that the "firing pin retractor" pulled it back out of the way when the breech dropped. weak spring led to "Misfire!" followed quickly by "Oh S***!!"

Yup, worn spring led to weak contact with the primer.

I only had a misfire situation once as a loader, but it was a good one:

"On The Way!...Misfire!"
"Alternate trigger - On The Way! ...Misfire!"
"MasterBlaster - On The Way! ... Misfire!"

That's when I got worried, glueing my backside to the turret wall out of the breech's way while waiting the 60 seconds for a cook-off, then having to back the round out of the breech, spin it 180 degrees, spit on it, and reload it for another round of tries.

That round never did fire - had to offload it into the misfire pit...when everybody else gets out of the tank before you unload it, THAT'S when you get worried.

Yep. Had to do that long walk to the dud pit myself with an indented primer. As I was the PL at the time, the entire way all I could think of was "RHIP my a$$!"

Sullivan013

If you want a real thrill, try unloading a live round by ramming the main gun into a tree!!

I had to do that at Grafenwohr. the loader had left his gloves on top of the breach and they got sucked into the recoil ring on the first round. Of course, he didn't notice and slammed in the next round. The breach only came up half way and jammed.. . Hot gun! Round in the breach! Breach only 1/2 closed!! Turret full of ammo in the cones and on the floor ready rack (M-60A1 Patton). "Bail out!!!!"

Well, it didn't blow, but nobody would go back in the turret, and nobody had any idea how to get the bullet out... Then I saw a great big tree not too far from the line, and made the suggestion of running the gun into it - -

Long story short - It worked. I drove the gun tube up to the tree and bumped it, heard the ringing sound of the round hitting the floor (Oh SHYYTTT!). Made the loader go in and get his gloves and secure the round (His fuux up! His fix!) Wnet back to the line and fired the round off to get rid of it - and that was that - -

quote:

Originally posted by greywolfghost:
If you want a real thrill, try unloading a live round by ramming the main gun into a tree!!

I had to do that at Grafenwohr. the loader had left his gloves on top of the breach and they got sucked into the recoil ring on the first round. Of course, he didn't notice and slammed in the next round. The breach only came up half way and jammed.. . Hot gun! Round in the breach! Breach only 1/2 closed!! Turret full of ammo in the cones and on the floor ready rack (M-60A1 Patton). "Bail out!!!!"

Well, it didn't blow, but nobody would go back in the turret, and nobody had any idea how to get the bullet out... Then I saw a great big tree not too far from the line, and made the suggestion of running the gun into it - -

Long story short - It worked. I drove the gun tube up to the tree and bumped it, heard the ringing sound of the round hitting the floor (Oh SHYYTTT!). Made the loader go in and get his gloves and secure the round (His fuux up! His fix!) Wnet back to the line and fired the round off to get rid of it - and that was that - -

Gun tube recoil exercise normally done by the wrecker truck prior to gunnery. Your version, oh schiesse version. Works as you said. That 105 could have went off when it dropped to the turret floor but alas that day was not a good day to die. Maybe tomorrow.

Rounds weren't supposed to go if dropped. That's why they were electric -

Probably should have put something on the floor, like a folded tarp or something, but just didn't think in that direction. It was freezing cold - Nov/Dec '72 - no wreckers or M-88s anywhere around... Our M-88 had burned during an Alert, but that's another story - -

Improvise!! (Was a bit surprised it worked! )

Saw something similiar, but with different results. The BMO wanted to check the recoil spring on an M60A1 (AOS) in the 6/32 motor pool in 1983. Not having the sense that God gave him, he ordered the TC to push against the building with a 2x4 between the cinderblock wall and the gun tube. Unfortunately, the 2x4 was only 2 feet long... and went through the wall into the BMO's own office, dropping half the office wall on his desk.

Too funny.

Sullivan013

quote:

Originally posted by sullivan013:
Saw something similiar, but with different results. The BMO wanted to check the recoil spring on an M60A1 (AOS) in the 6/32 motor pool in 1983. Not having the sense that God gave him, he ordered the TC to push against the building with a 2x4 between the cinderblock wall and the gun tube. Unfortunately, the 2x4 was only 2 feet long... and went through the wall into the BMO's own office, dropping half the office wall on his desk.

Too funny.

Sullivan013

That is absolutely FUNNY!! Now, I'll admit my solution was dangerous, but the tree was probably 3 feet or more in diameter and standing all by itself away from everything. I was barely 21 and fearless/invincible at the time. (Read that foolhardy, if you want.) So, I took the bull by the horns, and nothing went BaaaBOOOOM!! It added to my rep of being quick-thinking, decisive and nuts - all highly rated qualties for a Buck Sgt in those times!!

Does this look like the face of someone who would do the "normal, sane thing" to you??

Couple of newbies recoiled their 105 in Germany by rear-ending another tank. Unfortunately they hit hard enough to break a bunch of stuff...I forget the details but that tank was over at BMO for quite awhile.

Back on topic - anybody else got any doohickies we can ID?

(boy does that sound wrong...)

Ahhhhh yes...rear-ending another tank. I was in Katterbach at the time...was heading across the road to a snack-bar - PX type of place; one of the line companies was coming back from some training down the road (the tanks' turrets were traversed and in travel-lock). One stopped a little short...the tank immediately following couldn't stop in time. He had a 5-gallon can of oil in the bustle rack...with the driver standing on the brakes, brought the oil can down to the muzzle-level of the tank in front, and...well, you've probably already guessed...the tank stopping short, muzzle went through the oil can, raining oil down very, very close to the driver of the tank that didn't get stopped. And...I'm sure the front tank also got a bit down the tube and onto the turret-floor. All I could do was stand there in ... amazement!

Mark

At Ft. Knox during the winter of 1970-1, I had a little detachment of one M-114, one M-113, and one M-60A1 Dozer Tank as an aggressor group to harass the Officer Candidates, who were all mounted up in various kinds of Armor Vehicles to play a winter War Game. Well, as we were tooling along at a fairly high rate of speed on a tank trail in column, this SFC Referee/Observer on with me suddenly yells "STOP!!"...and my driver stands on the brakes, bringing the 114 to a screeching halt...

The Driver of the 113 behind us jerks his laterals into his gut, seeing us stopping, and he manages to get stopped short of us - but the 60 ton Dozer Tank - well that was a different story - - !

He stood on the breaks, alright, and luckily the gun tube was still in travel lock over the back deck - But that 5 ton dozer blade took the 113 right across the rear fenders!! When it got done, both fenders were gone, both tracks were broke, both idler wheels were busted off, as were the hinges for the read door, which dropped off on the ground when the Tank backed up!!!

I said to the SFC, "What the @#$#%$# you yelling at my driver to stop for!??! You could got somebody killed!!"

He tried to yell me down, but I wouldn't have any of it especially when he decided to abandon the 113 and its crew in below-zero wind chill to keep chasing the Officer Cadets with my 114 and the Tank. Eventually he got us stuck in a deep mud hole and abandoned us too... But at least we had a heater to keep from freezing until I got an M-88 to show up and lift us out- -

I recognised the firing pin right away.
Got anymore doohickies?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: greywolfghost,

I see a red X

quote:

Originally posted by greywolfghost:

That’s a section of track which would be found on a typical M3 Grant, M4 Sherman, M3/M5 Stuart, or M7 Priest hull. Acting as a means of keeping the tracks on, (No center guides).
There is a full piece of that down range that I need to recover and bring back to the shop for posterity purposes. Maybe remove a few pads and make an award out of it for our CSM, who came up through the 19D route.

Happy Veteran’s day my fellow Tankers, Thank You All for Your Service!!!

yup - now it's someone else's turn