The extra barrel was the bofors gun's cooling system. In action the No. 1 ( Sgt. in charge of the Gun Crew ) would check,every now and then, whether the barrel was overheating. He would perform the "Spittle Test" by spitting on the barrel and observing the results. If the spittle jumped about and evaporated, he would order " Change Barrels ". Then the fun would start....
This same cooling system is used on the Bren Gun, hence the spare barrel which accompanies the gun everywhere.
Navy Bofors Guns were fitted in restricted spaces on board ships,with the lack of space making the quick barrel change impossible. So they were fitted with water cooled barrels like the Vickers MMG. The recoil spring was enlarged and moved outwards to make way for the cooling jacket, and the water was circulated through flexible tubing as the barrel would be recoiling some 120 times a minute!
With the later L70, ( c.1958 onwards) firing 240 rounds a minute, overheating became more of a problem. But now the sargeant was issued with ' tempistix ' temperature sensing strips which changed colour when touched against the hot barrel.
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George Cross Island
Last edited by Godwin Hampton; 09-03-05 at 22:14.
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