L119s...

[paul]

L118 range 17.2 km, 20.6 km extended range using base bleed (whatever that means)
L119 range 14 km, 19.5 km with M913 rocket assisted projectile

[GoneToTheCanner]

Archy,
I assure you, some storeman somewhere has a spare barrel in stores for the Gun.Complete with part number, serial number, batch number, Nato Stock number, modification status number, lot number,etc,etc
regards
GttC

[paul g]

L118 range 17.2 km, 20.6 km extended range using base bleed (whatever that means)
L119 range 14 km, 19.5 km with M913 rocket assisted projectile

When a shell is fired from, a vacume develops behind it and the resulting drag reduces the range of the shell, base bleed is simply a small gas generator at the base of the projectile that fills in the vacume and means the shell flies further.

Am pretty sure we don't have any base bleed ammunition though.

[madmullen58]

On the IMO army page at http://www.irishmilitaryonline.com/a...hp?id=fieldgun
it states "the L118 is identical although it does not have an exchange tube nor does it take standard 105mm ammo"

What is an exchange tube? I have visions of someone being sent to the quartermaster for a spare barrel for the 105.

Also, the maximum range shown on the IMO page is slightly ambitious for either weapon.

sher while he's at it get him to draw the keys to the square too.

[Captain Edmund Blackadder]

Don't forget the grid squares...

[REX]

Archy,
I assure you, some storeman somewhere has a spare barrel in stores for the Gun.Complete with part number, serial number, batch number, Nato Stock number, modification status number, lot number,etc,etc
regards
GttC

I wouldn't bet the house on that, I just fitted parts to a L118 that we ordered more than 16 months ago. We were told that there is a delay as priority, for parts being manufactured, is going to the British guns deployed in Afghanistan

[Archimedes]

Well Rex, you sound like the man to answer my original question
ie: what is this mythical "exchange tube"?

[REX]

Well Rex, you sound like the man to answer my original question
ie: what is this mythical "exchange tube"?

Sorry I'm a mechanic, we only do the brakes, wheels, suspension & lights etc. The bits that go bang belong to the Ordinance Techs

[Goldie fish]

Knowing little about artillery but something about hydrodynamics, could it be part of the guns buffer system?
Presumably it is a hydraulic buffer, and the buffering liquid(or gas, who knows) needs to go from one place to another when under pressure for that moment after the gun firing...

Or maybe I'm well off the mark?

[GoneToTheCanner]

Rex,
Good old "Union rules, bud". Whoever said the Army didn't have Unions...
regards
GttC

[ZULU]

For all you artillery heads.

There's a working 3d model of the L118 in 3d warehouse here

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=92b7894978a32997d40e00f72aac160e&prevstart=0

Download google sketchup for free, install the sketchy physics engine and your good to go.

[REX]

Rex,
Good old "Union rules, bud". Whoever said the Army didn't have Unions...
regards
GttC

Good guess, but wrong. Ord techs are not trained in brakes etc

[GoneToTheCanner]

If they are intelligent enough to fix the high-pressure parts of a gun, then simple brakes shouldn't be beyond them.It smells of the age-old electrician-mech divide.
regards
GttC

[REX]

If they are intelligent enough to fix the high-pressure parts of a gun, then simple brakes shouldn't be beyond them.It smells of the age-old electrician-mech divide.
regards
GttC

Believe me if we could find a way to give the job back to them we would, Tpt workshops only took on the task a couple of years ago. It probably came down to fear of being sued in case of an accident i.e. "yes your honour, a trained mechanic looks after the brakes" etc.
It definitely wasn't a case of someone stamping their feet and saying "that's our job"