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Okay - let's have a Whatzis today.

By The Armorer on November 4, 2007 | | Comments (35)

I've received a complaint that there has been too much toothsome chewy faux-intellectual discourse (or maudlin self-pity) 'round here of late, so here's a Whatzis for you today.

whatzis%201.jpg


You may begin.

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35 Comments

By Instapilot on November 3, 2007 11:44 PM
It's the end of a gun. Probably an Army gun. Big one, too.
 
By Fred on November 3, 2007 11:53 PM
Panzer IV muzzle brake. Darn pilots.
 
By Rod Thorsen on November 4, 2007 12:08 AM
Fur sur, a WWII german muzzle brake.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 12:12 AM
Heh. Whattaya all doon up this late? Waiting to see if the MS patch for daylight savings works? [it did]
 
By Justthisguy on November 4, 2007 12:14 AM
Hey, I wasn't *objecting* to the other stuff; sometimes I actually like a serious moping-and-brooding political piece, and please don't cease, to remind us about people who die for us, it's just nice to have something lighthearted from time to time, which engages the intellect in a fun way. And, yep, that's a purty pitcher of a purty muzzle brake, but I have no idea what piece it's attached to.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 12:25 AM
Heh. Things are getting outta sequence here. Snerk.
 
By Barb on November 4, 2007 12:50 AM
I've been looking at the muzzle break in the WIkipedia pics for the Panzer IV, and that doesn't look like the same thing. The outside of this one is very straight, while the P-IV is flared near the base. Dusty - I was all set to make a remark just like yours, then I got sucked into trying to find the right match. ;-) Phooey ... I'm going to bed now!
 
By wolfwalker on November 4, 2007 8:39 AM
Hmmm.... Yes a muzzle brake, even I can tell that much. Yes a land-based gun, probably a mobile one on an armored vehicle, a tank or tank destroyer. But a Panzer IV? I agree that it's most likely German, but it doesn't look quite right for the Panzer IV. It looks closer to the Panzer VI (Tiger II). Still doesn't seem exactly right, but that's the closest match I can find.
 
By MR. T's Haircut on November 4, 2007 8:41 AM
Muzzle Break from self propelled Arty 155mm
 
By redleg on November 4, 2007 8:51 AM
That is the muzzle brake for a self propelled 152mm or 155mm Howitzer It is not a M109 series though
 
By mostly cajun on November 4, 2007 9:09 AM
The active element of the M32A1 combat potato peeler... MC
 
By AFSister on November 4, 2007 9:33 AM
Yep. I'm with Dusty- end of a BIG gun. HEY! Us Zoomies have to stick together, you know.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 9:58 AM
Heh. Bathing takes care of that stickiness, AFSis. Gee, I wonder why no one thinks it's the cage to a cross-wind sensor or something. Hmmmmm. Context matters, pesky thing. You all are falling for the trap that crucifies girls and math. Something about why they don't do math and measurements well. Or not. I'm not giving out hints or clues or anything. Nope. Not me.
 
By AFSister on November 4, 2007 10:15 AM
*phew* You said: "You all are falling for the trap that crucifies girls and math." But what I initially read was "You all are falling for the trap that crucifies GIRTH and math." I personally prefer girth and geometry when it comes to girls and boys.
 
By AFSister on November 4, 2007 10:50 AM
OK, I'm off to "bathe". "soak" in that thought for a while. heh.
 
By Ernie on November 4, 2007 10:59 AM
If that's a muzzle brake, then somebody's been standing that gun on its nose. Besides which, there's daylight behind the thing, down in the corner, where the rest of the barrel should be. I don't have a clue what it is, but I'm pretty sure what it's not.
 
By CDR Salamander on November 4, 2007 2:42 PM
Hey John, the new PnZ2000 in AFG - first time Dutch arty guys have fired a shot in anger since the 1950s-and the first use of the PnZ2000 in combat. Good write up in Janes if you have access to such. Still wish they worked out the salt-water problem and kept that gun on ship. Sniffle.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 2:48 PM
Thanks for the video link, 'Phibian. We *did* blog about it when they pulled the lanyard. We also blogged it when the USAF delivered the guns to Afstan. But I don't think we've had the video.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 6:02 PM
I can see we're going to need some help. New pic tomorrow.
 
By HomefrontSix on November 4, 2007 7:32 PM
What if we're not blessed with patience? What if we can't wait until tomorrow??? Dangit, man. Help a girl out, would you?? I don't think it's a muzzle brake of any kind (based on the cursory research I've done over the past few hours) because of the wear and such on the tip of it. All of the pictures I've seen don't show that kind of wear and tear on them. And, as Ernie says, the locations of daylight in the picture don't make sense. After that, I'm stuck. And your "hints" (or lack thereof) aren't penetrating my thick skull either. I don't deal well with frustration either. Can you tell??
 
By Old Fat Sailor on November 4, 2007 7:55 PM
Muzzle brake, wha for? Naval gunner never needed a muzzle brake.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 8:05 PM
HFS - The hints refer to issues of scale. You're falling into the "this is eight inches" trap that we males have used for millenia to keep you gurls out of math, the sciences, and engineering in school. 8^ ) Sky color - the muzzle brake isn't painted. It's natural metal, with a matte finish. That *itself* is a major hint. *I'm* having fun anyway! HFS - I'm shamelessly shilling for the traffic tomorrow... ;^)
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 8:14 PM
Old Sailor Who-Casts-A-Large-Shadow (your Indian name) you know I couldn't let an assertion like that stand unchallenged. Admittedly, it's German, but it's naval, and there's a muzzle brake there...
 
By HomefrontSix on November 4, 2007 9:50 PM
OK, so bigger or smaller? The "Whatzis" for goodness sake! Sheesh.
 
By Justthisguy on November 4, 2007 9:55 PM
It's not radially symmetrical. Flash suppressor/compensator. Or a new weird variation on the Hilsch Vortex Tube.
 
By AFSister on November 4, 2007 10:07 PM
"It's naval" Well, in THAT case.. must be the flux capacitor for an aircraft carrier.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 4, 2007 11:19 PM
Ah, AFSis - you're suffering from failure to follow the thread. The Whatzis isn't naval - the link I provided to OFS is of a naval system with a muzzle brake. JTG - it's not? You sure about that?
   
By Rod Thorsen on November 4, 2007 11:58 PM
Ok, if I understand it right, it's not what we think, but it is a muzzle brake. Uhh, don't we have rules about going DeSade all over the place?
 
By Rod Thorsen on November 5, 2007 12:00 AM
Hmmm, could be a big whistle, I suppose.
 
By Rod Thorsen on November 5, 2007 12:07 AM
Snorkal without the ball
 
By Trias on November 5, 2007 12:30 AM
I think this boomstick end is much smaller than supposed. It's just a closeup. That looks dirty and while I have no doubt big boomsticks get dirty like any other that is not the place i'd expect to find it. Now this photo looks kinda modern and no self respecting collector would sully their toys or their reps with dirt would they? So perhaps this boomstick is more modern? Perhaps even in use? The other thing is the rounding seems so smooth, did ww2 era really have that?
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 5, 2007 12:31 AM
Rod - Yes. No. Possibly, but not really likely, and again, possible, but not really likely.
 
By Rod Thorsen on November 5, 2007 12:39 AM
Thanks!! I really, truly, without reservation, and with absolutely no attempt to lessen, ameliorate, or in any other way express any form, basis, or expression of sarcasm, doubt or smirminess want to truly and sincerely, thank your very much (read A Fish Called Wanda) for your support in this!!! Once again, without any coercion or implied force, thanks very, very much. Regards Rod (multiple grins)
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 5, 2007 7:52 AM
Trias - you have to remember this collector's quirks. He prefers items that are *used* not pristine. He's in it for the history, the connection to the people who used the artifacts for their intended purpose - not to have something that came off final assembly, was put in a crate, stored for 50 years, then sold off as surplus. Nope. He wants stuff that crossed the beach, climbed the mountain, hunkered in bunkers, etc. So beat up is preferable to unmarred. Cheaper, too, which doesn't hurt.