10-203 Garand Picture of the Day - Garands in a can

[Mark in Rochester]

Information

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[frankderrico]

Thanks Mark, with all the talk about canned M1's I remembered these pics from awhile back. (notice the bomb on the drum) How about the one with the forklift stacking them in the wharehouse?.....Frank

P.S. ware are they now?

[Bob Womack]

Wow! War janitor in a drum. Thanks for supplying the picture in question!

[Mark in Rochester]

Thanks Mark, with all the talk about canned M1's I remembered these pics from awhile back. (notice the bomb on the drum) How about the one with the forklift stacking them in the wharehouse?.....Frank

P.S. ware are they now?

P.S. ware are they now? - Stories abound by veterans that many of these containers were punched with holes and thrown overboard from U.S. ships at sea." - Bob Miller, THE GARAND STAND REPORT, Summer, 1993.



LONG TERM STORAGE OF SMALL ARMS
A process for packaging small arms for long periods of indoor storage, known as 'canning', was developed at Springfield Armory to preserve new or reconditioned weapons.
Weapons preserved in this manner will be serviceable, free of rust and fungi and ready for immediate use of an estimated period of fifty-years.
Rifles, Pistols, Carbines, Sub-machine guns and Machine guns are secured within hermetically sealed metal cThe atmosphere in each container is maintained at a lot relative humidity to prevent rusting and growth of fungi and is in equilibrium with wood components. To control this atmosphere, several pounds of desiccant are placed in each container before sealing. The amount of desiccant used is governed by the ambient air condition at the time of packaging, Weapons equipped with wood stocks and hand guards are placed in drying kilns, where the wood components are conditioned to a uniform moisture content prior to canning. Web slings are padding material (cotton, felt) are dehydrated before packing. When dehydrated, the padding material is immersed in oil to prevent reabsorption of moisture.
The drum type container, used for packaging M1 Rifles, Carbines, Pistols, B.A.R., and submachine guns, is fabricated from WD 1015 steel. The shell is of #18 gage material and the end covers are of #14 gage. A flat sheet is rolled to form the shell, longitudinally resistance seam welded and embossed with a varying number of rolling hoops, depend on the length. The pressed steel covers have a one inch flange and an embossed centering ring. The centering ring serves to hold the gun rack on the axis of the container. One cover is pressed into the shell, rotary seam welded to the opposite cover. This plate contains information as to stock number, contents, modification work order, volume, weight, serial number of the container and the date packed.
Aluminum extruded tubes, of one-eight inch wall thickness, are used for individual packing of Caliber .50 Aircraft Basic and Heavy Barrel Flexible machine guns. Aluminum covers are pressed from sheet Alloy, have a one inch flange but without centering rings. One cover is assembled with a rear bracket support. This support is a spot welded assembly, channel shaped to secure the rear end of the weapon and is welded to the cover. An extruded cup is welded to the opposite cover to supper the muzzle of the gun. This gun is also supported forward of the trunnion block with a formed disc.
Rifles, carbines and submachine guns are assembled to a gun rack. The rack is made up of a center post, (standard steel pipe) with spacing units welded in place to locate the weapons. Formed discs or end plates with muzzle and butt indents are welded on each end of the center post to prevent end wise movement of the guns. The peripheral form of the end plate fits over the centering ring embossed in the cover. Padding material is placed between the weapons and rack to cushion shock and to prevent marring of the weapons.
Pistols are packed in trays. These trays are pressed from WD 1010 steel and shaped to fit the silhouette of two pistols with extra magazines. In assembly, the pistols with magazines are placed in position on one tray, with another tray inverted and placed on top to form a single unit. Matching ears and slots on each tray allow them to be locked together. Ten units, or twenty pistols with extra magazines, are stacked in each container.
Weapons are prepared for canning by immersion in a tank of selected volatile solvent. This solvent removes acid forming greases and other foreign compositions that might produce corrosion. They are then immersed in a tank of Soft Film, Rust Preventive AXS-1759, Grade 32. This compound has moisture displacing properties and a minimum tendency to become gummy or varnishy over a long period of time.
After evaporation of volatiles from this compound, the resulting film is about .0005 inch thick. This allows unpacking and firing the gun without cleaning, avoiding the difficult removal of heavy grease from weapons are preserved in the past.
Following this coating of preservatives, the weapons are assembled to the gun rack along with accessories. The accessories consist of magazines, slings, oilers for rifles, spade grips and charging handles for machine guns. Magazines, oilers, spade grips and charging handles are secuCotton webbing pads and ½" Box strapping bands are placed around the weapons assembled to gun racks, drawn up tightly and secured with strapping seals.
The assembled packs are lowered into the containers, properly centered and the top cover with name plate assembly is pressed into place. The cover is tacked to the shell while in the press by 'gun welding', to prevent outward displacement after removal. The cover is then rotary seam welded to complete the hermetic sealing operation. The hermetically sealed containers are tested by immersion in clear water heated to 180 degrees F. The internal air pressure rises to about three pounds p.s.i. in two minutes. All surfaces and seams are carefully examined while the container is under water. Defects are repaired by oxy-acetylene welding and the container retested.
Accepted steel containers are prepared for painting by (1) trichloroethylene vapor degrease (2) bonderize (3) dry before painting.
The containers are spray painted with two coats of olive drab enamel U.S. Army Specifications 3-181, Type V. Each coat is baked for five minutes by infra-red lamps, allowing ten minutes between coats for cooling. This cooling period prevents the internal temperature from exceeding 200 degrees F, above which a breakdown of phosphate coatings and the preservative a compound may occur. During and overrun of fifteen minutes on the paint line conveyor after the final coat, the paint air dries to 'Full Hardness.' Painting of the aluminum containers is omitted as the material was selected for its non-corrosive properties. Instructions for opening are stenciled one each shell.
A 'can opener' was developed to facilitate opening the large number of containers packed. This may be considered as a giant version of the ordinary kitchen tool. The portable unit weighing about thirty pounds, may be used as a single unit or it may be used in conjunction with a platform base for opening on a production basis.
The portable opener consists of a gear reduction unit that operates two serrated drive rolls. The drive rolls are designed to provide the force necessary to cause a set of cutting discs are located on a pivoted arm. A vise clamp arrangement allows the discs to be set to the desired dept of cut.
In operation, the serrated drive wheels are located on the inside of the container flange and the pivoted arm is tightened, with the cutting discs located below the seam weld on the flange. The opener may be operated manually with a hand crank, or if electrical power is available, it may be driven with a one-half inch portable drill.
When used in conjunction with the platform base, the portable unit is inverted, and properly located on the base. The platform base is equipped with a one-third horsepower motor. The power is transmitted by means of a worse gear arrangement to the portable unit's drive stud. Containers are placed upright on this composite unit and opened in the same manner as described with the portable unit.
Containers are subjected to various rough handling conditions in laboratory tests prior to acceptance. These included four-foot falls with the containers landing at various angles, and vibration tests to simulate most phases of transportation handling. Containers were then tested for hermetic seal and opened for examination of contents. Results indicated that although the containers were badly dented, they retained their hermetic seal and the weapons were not damaged in any way.
A further laboratory test was conducted to simulate air transportation of containers. In this test the loaded containers withstood 15 pounds p.s.i. of internal air pressure without any indication of distortion or leakage.
This method of packaging weapons for long periods of storage has proved to be quite superior to previous methods used, in that (1) reduces breakages due to handling, (2)
"I have heard rumors of the existence of a cache of M1 rifles still in sealed metal drums from the 1940's. Each container supposedly has ten original rifles. Is there any factual information regarding these or the possibility that they may be imported into this country?
Rumors of the new condition M1's in vacuum sealed drums have been around the collecting fraternity for years. There is a possibility that some of these cans may still exist. These could contain original rifles or new condition arsenal rebuilt M1's. Under 'Canning,' the SA 1948 Fiscal Year Report shows 87,300 and 220,310 more M1's in FY 1949. If certain executive orders are rescinded it is possible that imported U.S. military firearms could once again happen. This is probably not likely to occur, however, there are several things to consider. Firearms could not be released in this country in sealed drums. Current regulations require that the importer place his name and location (city and town) on each individual firearm. In the past, many chose to stamp their markings on the barrels while others marked the receivers. Once this has been accomplished the collectibility of the piece is destroyed. Who wants M1 Rifles with 'Blue Sky' or anything else stamped on them? Another possibility is that the CMP could acquire these and bring them into this country in which case they would not have to be import marked." - THE GRAND STAND REPORT, Summer, 2005.

"The sign on the exhibit explains as follows: 'Springfield Armory packaged weapons for long term storage of small arms after WW2. Rifles, pistols, carbines, submachine guns were secured within hermetically sealed metal containers in which the atmosphere was controlled. In so far as possible the weapons were secured in such a manner as to produce a uniformly balanced.
Rifles are assembled to a gun rack made of a center post (standard steel pipe) with spacing units welded in place to locate the weapons. Formed discs or end plates with muzzle and butt plate indents are welded on each end of the center post to prevent endwise movement of the guns. The formed edge of the end plate fits over the centering ring which is embossed in the cover. Padding material is placed between the weapons and rack to cushion shock and prevent marring of the weapons.' Container is dated 9-47 and weighs 170 lbs.
Stories abound by veterans that many of these containers were punched with holes and thrown overboard from U.S. ships at sea." - Bob Miller, THE GARAND STAND REPORT, Summer, 1993.