Subdeacon Joe Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Remember about a month and a half ago I asked for some help in indentifying some guns outside an American Legion Post in the San Diego area? Need you to put your thinking caps on and help me again. I got an email from the gentleman this morning: Quote Joe, I hope this is no bother but I am wondering if you could classify these guns for us. I recently found that our VFW Post donated (somehow????) these to a local cemetery. I would like to post on our website with some information. When I asked him if he could check for any markings he got back to me with: Quote I looked closely and all I could find (barely readable) is something about air pressure. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 My first impression was a naval 3” aa gun. Digging now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 4 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said: My first impression was a naval 3” aa gun. Digging now. That was my gut feeling too. Or maybe 5". Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Hard to tell the scale without something to compare em too. And unusual that they were moved from the VFW. Those items are usually on loan from the government and can’t be transferred. Must have been a lot of paperwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 3 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said: Hard to tell the scale without something to compare em too. Figure that the handrail at the top of the steps is about 34" at the top - pretty much the standard height. But, yes, it would be much better if a person, or at least a can of GOEX, was next to one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Looks like a Mark 37 5 inch gun and mount, with some parts missing, including training and elevation equipment and pedestal. If you blow up the photo and look at the gun on the left, the gun description, which appears painted over, is on the plates at the end of the cradle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 I'm leaning towards a 4 or 5 inch naval gun as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 9 minutes ago, Tex Jones, SASS 2263 said: Looks like a Mark 37 5 inch gun and mount, with some parts missing, including training and elevation equipment and pedestal. If you blow up the photo and look at the gun on the left, the gun description, which appears painted over, is on the plates at the end of the cradle. Like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 5"/38 on a "simplified mount for merchant ships and auxiliaries" http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_5-38_mk12.php A picture is on the right side of the link across and slightly down from the picture of the USS Independence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 8 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said: Like this? Sure does, but without all the extra equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 1 minute ago, Tex Jones, SASS 2263 said: Sure does, but without all the extra equipment. Yeah, stripped down for display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 4, 2020 Author Share Posted July 4, 2020 Another comment from the FB group where I asked: Quote Yup, definitely USN WW2 era 5"/38 "Gun Mark 12 Mods". That designation applies to basically the barrel and breech assembly. (Think barreled action on your deer rifle.) For use, the gun is attached with other parts to become a "Gun Mount" with a platform to sit the gun on, training and elevation gearing and motors, sights, fuze setters, and in most cases a protective shield or actual armor, and the whole assembly is referred to by the Mount" nomenclature.The one in the photo is a stripped down gun assembly, probably from one of the more simple, open, cheap and lightweight Mark 31 Mounts used mainly on armed merchant ships. Those would have been the first to become excess and surplus for scrap or donation to veterans groups following WW2.The gun and carriage have been removed from the rest of the mount and the lower foot or two of the carriage embedded in concrete.This has the long stroke rammer hydraulics and gearing (the skinny pie looking do-dad parallel to the top of the barrel, which was unique to the open mounts, mostly on the Mark 31 merchant mount.The "air pressure" markings probably refer to the need to service the hydro-pneumatic counter-recoil mechanism to ensure it was charged to 1,500 PSI prior to firing. Upon firing the hydraulic recoil system absorbed the recoil forces, and further compressed the air in the counter-recoil system. This air pressure then returned the gun and breech to the "in battery" position, ready for loading for the next shot. Checking counter-recoil air pressure was one of the most important pre-firing checks and the gunnery officer (on FRAM DDs, at least) was to personally witness that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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