[Rob Fast]

and yes the Bofors can be a heavy and dangerous piece of equipment if not handled the right way! I managed to remove the barrel with the help of a couple of stout Prairie Command members. As you know it's heavy and requires teamwork. I have only tried it once so far, but I would imagine trained gun crews could accomplish the task quickly and safely. I wonder how quickly they could change a barrel with Messerschmitt's doing a tight circuit for another go around at their emplacement?

When I was restoring the Bofors last winter I had the outriggers and leveling pads down with the four wheels removed for restoration. Well, one of my overly excited friends grabbed the front axel lock and pulled on it releasing the big spring driving the front tow bar thru a six inch plywood wall with such force that I still have nightmares about how lucky we were no one was standing in front of the hitch! Very fortunate that no one was hurt.

Good to hear from you and keep in touch. Cheers Rob