We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:04:37 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification First - the answer to the cockpit whatzis was... Yak 3. Congrats to Gwedd and HomeFrontSix(!). Turn yourselves loose on this one.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html Sat, 27 Jan 2007 11:12:38 -0600 Methinks it's a telescope sight for an A/Ik gun, maybe post wwII. It looks very similar to a No 43 Mk 3 Firefly scope. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55874 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55874 Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:18:41 -0600 Or maybe I should collect myself and think about it for, oh, another 58 minutes or so... I think I need some sleep.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55852 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55852 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:14:10 -0600 Hmmm... thinking with my fingers here: If it's not a barrel off some kind of gun (which it looks like it could be, can't tell what those dark spots are on the thicker shaft, greasy fingerprints?), then it looks like it's designed to be an axle. If it's spring loaded, maybe that nub on top is how you take it apart, in which case it's got to be something that is held in place by compression, Unless a bolt comes in through the seating bearing, but even then it couldn't take much torque without breaking or bending the bolt, so it's got to be something relatively lightweght and I would guess used as oriented, like an antenna base for a wind sensor or some such or a rotating wheel of some kind, but being here, I am going to gusss it's a barrel for some kind of heavy gun... And since BillT knows what it is, maybe it's some aviation kind of gun--from the civl war. Or it's just some old machined piece of crap put up here to me crazy again... See, that's how my mind works (or doesnt)... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55851 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55851 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:07:33 -0600 Well, in my defense, Bill essentially *works* with one... it would hardly have been fair. And, um, for 95% of you, that is *really* a huge red herring. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55849 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55849 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:54:14 -0600 something along those lines?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55848 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55848 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:28:32 -0600 The CDN version of the LAV-25 uses a pneumatic cylinder to raise and lower the driver's seat. My official guess is this is out of a USMC LAV-25. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55846 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55846 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:19:28 -0600 Sanger is good on scale - and the seating portion. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55840 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55840 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:56:15 -0600 Looks about 1.5-2' feet long, maybe longer. Bottom clearly seats into something, like a chair base - seat pipe for some kind of armor vehicle - pedestal mount of some kind for a gun - If I've got the scale wrong, then it could be charging handle or a firing pin for a really big gun... - Tank track pin remover (a punch of some kind). http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55839 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55839 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:38:52 -0600 Armorer, have you been digging around in the OSS's toybox again? :-) This looks rather like the Spring Cosh that OSS spooks used in WW2. Press the button on the butt-end, and it telescopes out to double its length. A handy concealed club. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55835 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55835 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:58:40 -0600 Nope. Nope. Nope. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55833 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55833 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:34:24 -0600 shock absorber? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55828 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55828 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 13:32:47 -0600 Cut down M2HB barrel http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55826 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55826 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:32:26 -0600 subcalaber device? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55825 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/01/okay_lets_get_back_to_basics.html#comment-55825 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 11:42:01 -0600