# When did we get the Muzzle swell on the barrels of the 105mm C1's?



## Colin Parkinson (24 Oct 2016)

I always understood that all of our 105mm C1's came with barrel with a muzzle swell machined into them to prevent cracking. However this 1962 picture shows the early barrel type without the swell?


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## Old Sweat (24 Oct 2016)

These may have been purchased from the US, but we had Canadian-built ones with the swell in the early sixties. I vaguely remember this being discussed on my IG Course but that was in 1967-1968.


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## Colin Parkinson (24 Oct 2016)

thanks the source of this, think these were directly purchased from the US, as I recall Otis made our recoil mechanisms and thinking the Guns were made in Sorel?


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## Colin Parkinson (24 Oct 2016)

and the author of that webpages points me to the answer lurking under my nose...... [:-[

http://www.vancouvergunners.ca/guns.html


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## FJAG (24 Oct 2016)

I note from the regimental history of the 7th Toronto that we switched out our 25lbs for 105mm in 1957. I don't know specifically which version they would have been but am pretty sure that when I started my training in 1965 we were referring to the guns which we had as the M2A2 (and not as C1s or C2s at that time)

I just did a quick search for documentation and came across a record for CAMT 4-24-4 titled "Canadian Army manual of training : artillery training : gun drill for 105mm Howitzer M2A2 on carriage M2A2, 1958" which I'm pretty sure is the manual I did my training on.

I suspect that since the M2A2's came off the production lines in Sorel in 1955/56 that the guns that Toronto received in 57 were probably the same M2A2s I trained on in 65.

 :cheers:


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## Colin Parkinson (25 Oct 2016)

Now if we could get South Korea to release some of it war reserves, we could easily re-equip all the Reserve Arty with M2A2's again, I think they have around 1500 tucked away.  [


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## Old Sweat (25 Oct 2016)

I also recall referring to the 105s as M2A2s, and I think I may have worked on a 105mm howitzer in my one summer concentration as a gun number that did not have the muzzle swell.


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## FJAG (25 Oct 2016)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> I also recall referring to the 105s as M2A2s, and I think I may have worked on a 105mm howitzer in my one summer concentration as a gun number that did not have the muzzle swell.



I can't say that I ever noticed one without the muzzle swell. I do know the ones I trained on originally had them as it was one of the many features that we had to learn about for our "identify the parts of the howitzer" test we were given on my gun layer's course. Man that little "L" badge and white lanyard on my battle dress looked impressive!!  ;D

 :cheers:


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## Colin Parkinson (25 Oct 2016)

Looking at the pictures on the site I posted, the swell appears in the early 70's for the 15th FD guns


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