Sold: 25-pdr limbers in Portugal

[mark gillatt]

No, they are bigger

[Keith Brooker]

Thanks Mark, that`s a shame

[m606paz]

Congrats! Thanks for sharing!

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by mark gillatt

No, they are bigger

Not bigger, same size but different pitch.

CMP wheel nuts are 5/8"UNF (18 threads per inch), while British nuts are 5/8"BSF (14 tpi). And both types have Left and Right threads

[Mike Cecil]

Tony and Keith,

Both the British and Canadian spare parts lists show extensive use of BSF threaded nuts bolts and studs. Both show the wheel stud as 'Stud, wheel, cone seating, no.3, part number TR162' and the nut as 'Nut, cone seating, wheel stud, No.4, part number TR203', but without specifying the size or thread. Sixteen of each are listed for the trailer. Both parts lists are later, the Canadian is 1943 and the Brit is 1945. Neither show a different part number for different studs and nuts for each side of the trailer.

I suspect this is because 1943+ manufacture limbers were equipped with RH threads on both sides. There was also a change order to retrofit RH threads on the left side of limbers already in service, but how far that went is not known to me.

The 25-pdr gun manual has a section on the ammunition trailer, as does the illustrated parts list. I am not aware of a manual just for the ammunition trailer. Reproduction manuals of good quality are available from Cavalier Books in the UK:

https://www.caliverbooks.com/bookvie...8cl30&id=19715

The cartridge case you are hoping to purchase is a British manufactured Mk.2 case made by the Royal Laboratories (Woolwich) in 1945. The CF means it was filled with a full charge of a smokeless propellant. There is no indication that the cartridge was refilled (no crossed out 'F'). The primer is a No.11 Mk.5/2, manufactured May 1953, but the primer filling date has been struck out for some reason, although the filling factory code and lot number have not. Nice find in any event, hope you can acquire it.

Mike

[mark gillatt]

Just checked and you are right Tony. Keith, I have some British nuts 5/8" BSF left and right hand if you still need them, also a canvas cover for the front and some other bits.

[Mike Cecil]

As this is a 1943 trailer, it will most probably have RH threads on both left and right side wheel studs - see my previous post - so best to check before purchasing.
Mike

[Keith Brooker]

First time i have had a good look at the limber i bought, got the door hinges to move better and took a lot of photos with info on some of the parts.
A few more photos. Hoping to get someone down to have a look to restore it as i don`t have the skill to do it myself.

If to much then i will have to sell it to someone who has the expertise to do it. At least i have saved it.

[Keith Brooker]

A few photos. some of the parts have the date and some numbers.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Not bigger, same size but different pitch.

CMP wheel nuts are 5/8"UNF (18 threads per inch), while British nuts are 5/8"BSF (14 tpi). And both types have Left and Right threads

It begs the question, why the designers couldn't have standardized on existing parts supplies?

Oh yes, I know. Urgency and lack of spare capacity.

[Grant Bowker]

Terry,

I think the answer is that each of the items mentioned was a "standard". The wheels used on CMP were basically to War Office (UK) design - standardized. The hubs the wheels were mounted on were a Canadian design so used "standard" threads. Left hand threads on the left side was common practice at the time- "standard".
If you are suggesting there should be a single global standard for threads and other components, you will have to get the USA to change to metric, and wait for all existing SAE threaded items to work their way out of existence.
In other words, don't rush to get rid of your inch wrenches...

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Peter Van Driessche in Belgium bit the bullet for a border raid across France and Spain into Portugal to pick up this limber.

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