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Thread: Can you identify this naval gun?

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    Senior Member Pinnacle-Project's Avatar
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    Can you identify this naval gun?

    On the way home from Indianapolis, I decided to stop off at a couple antique stores. I did not find any good deals but did find this Navy gun turret at this shop. The shop is on US-31 north of Kokomo almost as far north as Peru.

    http://www.frontporchprimitivesindiana.com/

    I talked to one of the employees but she did not know much about it. It sounds like shipping to get the gun from the previous owner in Carmel, permits, and the cost of cement for the new base cost more than the gun itself. After they mounted it, the school across the street expressed their displeasure at having a gun pointed at them. I found this funny. Even if the gun worked, would they be able to lower the barrels down low enough to hit the school? Plus, how many antique shops carry live ordinance for a gun like this?

    Anyway, she did not know anything about the history of the gun. A customer once speculated it was from the USS Indianapolis but that seems unlikely to me since that ship sank in the South Pacific during WWII. Any Navy vets on have any thoughts about what this gun turret may have been on originally?

    Click on each for larger pictures.

    1.jpg

    2.jpg

    3.jpg

    4.jpg

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    It looks like a twin 50 cal. AA gun.

    it also looks post WWII and it looks like there are conflicting ID tags on it, if those are both from the same gun.
    Last edited by Larommi; 10-28-2014 at 12:47 PM.

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    Senior Member Pinnacle-Project's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larommi View Post
    It looks like a twin 50 cal. AA gun.

    it also looks post WWII and it looks like there are conflicting ID tags on it, if those are both from the same gun.
    Yes, both tags came from the same gun. I think one tag represents the rotating base and another tag represents the enclosure around the actual gun. I suspect there are other tags for other components but I just could not see them.

    AA gun? What does AA stand for?

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    Senior Member JaxSon's Avatar
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    Anti-Aircraft

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    Senior Member ilovetheusers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larommi View Post
    It looks like a twin 50 cal. AA gun.

    it also looks post WWII and it looks like there are conflicting ID tags on it, if those are both from the same gun.
    Was my guess. Looks just like the AA guns on the models of battleships I used to build as a kid.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3%E2%80%B3/50_caliber_gun

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    Senior Member ilovetheusers's Avatar
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    Question, since is is a turret, with enough WD40 or something, can't they turn it? Or is it so rusted that that's never going to happen?

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    Senior Member CeeBee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ilovetheusers View Post
    Question, since is is a turret, with enough WD40 or something, can't they turn it? Or is it so rusted that that's never going to happen?
    Sometimes it's impossible to move even a stupid small bolt, I would imagine that moving that thing is impossible unless it was made out of stainless steel.

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    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
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    based on the information in your second photo, I think you were looking at a turret mounted pair of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3%E2%80%B3/50_caliber_gun
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
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    Senior Member ilovetheusers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CeeBee View Post
    Sometimes it's impossible to move even a stupid small bolt, I would imagine that moving that thing is impossible unless it was made out of stainless steel.
    I really doubt it's stainless.

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    Senior Member slgrieb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ilovetheusers View Post
    Question, since is is a turret, with enough WD40 or something, can't they turn it? Or is it so rusted that that's never going to happen?
    Pretty hefty piece of hardware with the armor and all. Normally, these things were power driven and served by a crew a deck below the turret. Don't imagine one of these puppies could be rotated manually without aid from gearing.
    Yes, Mr. Death... I'll play you a game! But not CHESS !!! BAH... FOOEY! My game is...
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