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Might want to add a lanyard to the firing lock
Gary, I have to disagree on this one. With the spade in the travelling position, I don't think having the lanyard in the firing lock would be very realistic. What I am unsure about since my memory of the old 8 inch is long gone is whether the 8 inch how tube was pulled out of battery for traveling like the 175mm gun tube was.
I'll see if i have time to check references when i get home this evening.......anyone know off hand??
Semper Fi,
Dave
The lanyard stays with the firing lock. And in the traveling position the firing lock will be inserted in the breech door if for no other reason than to keep the dust out. There is no travel position for the barrel other than being in the cradle (which it is). Seems like only yesterday I was riding on one of these things right down Ft Sill Blvd.
The lanyard is about one meter long (longer than a towed howitzer by the way), but is often cut off to make it as short as eighteen inches. There is a little acorn shaped knob on the end made outta wood (about two inches in diameter). I might add here that there are actually two different lanyards used with this carriage. The other is for the 175 barrel (often interchanged with the eight inch), and used for the first few shots after a barrel change. It's very long so the AG can be off the track and way to the side.
gary
