TIL that the USA only has one plant that produces gun barrels for the M1 Abrams tank, M777 howitzers, and Paladin self propelled howitzers. The Watervliet Arsenal in Troy, NY is the nation’s oldest arsenal dating back to 1813. The manufacturing plant has tripled its production over the last 3 years.
I wonder how many they forge in a year. The article says production tripled in 2022 due to the Ukraine war, I am curious what that number is.
How often does a tank need to replace its barrel?
I wonder when the last time the US lost a Self Propelled Howitzer? WWII/ Korea?
Did a bunch get destroyed/spiked when the US pulled out of Afghanistan?
Barrels are a wear item on these things, the Abrahams replaces a barrel at 1500 shots. While they may not lose many mechanisms, there’s still passive demand for barrels.
When it is replaced is it scrap or do they rebore it and reuse it?
I bet it’s scrap, the force and pressure on those things is nuts
The 777 howitzer barrel is made of titanium. The US doesnt have a reliable source for it so I would expect they are sent back and recast
That’s what scrapping is.
I was thinking more about the supply chain and recycling the metal directly back to manufacture. If you scrapped the barrels like we scrap most things the titanium would probably be lost. Where it broke would be where it lay.