Restored WW2 Artillery Gun
When you’re sick you call a doctor. When your car breaks down, you call a mechanic. When you want an artillery gun, you call Bob Bigando, or Dangerous Bob, as he’s more commonly referred to in the firearms community. Bigando is the one of the nation’s leading experts when it comes to big guns. He helps collectors find, buy, restore and fire large caliber weapons.
Bigando got the paperwork back for his first destructive device shortly after he turned 21, the age you’re legally allowed to own one. Since then, he’s turned his passion into a full time job. His nickname is the result of the inherent danger of his business. Fortunately, his only physical injury has been minor. He lost half his pinky finger in 2004 when it was blasted off by a .50-cal primer. In early 2018, he caught wind of a 1943 Ordnance QF 2-pounder for sale in Pennsylvania. The gun, a British two pounder, as it’s more commonly referred to, belonged to a retired Army Colonel who imported it in the 1960’s, and amnesty registered it in 1968. What really interested Bigando was the fact that the gun was advertised as being able to fire. If this was true, he believed it would very likely be the only firing British two pounder in the US.
Guns like this don’t come around too often. So Bigando kissed his wife goodbye and drove across the country. Upon arrival, he inspected it. Cosmetically, it looked great. Mechanically however, it needed some serious work. He was ready to take a chance. So he purchased it and made the long journey home to Arizona. He set to work in his garage, a smorgasbord of guns, parts, ammo and tools. Using bits and pieces from other guns, and sometimes even parts from his local hardware store, he got the two pounder restored back to her beautiful self in a little over a month. It was then time for the acid test – firing the gun.
Not only is this the most exciting part of the job, but also the most dangerous. Any number of things can go wrong. He prepared a few 2-pounder brass with weighed 40mm Bofors projectiles and on March 28, 2018, he loaded up the gun. He drove to his secret testing grounds. If the gun fired, Bigando would have the only firing British two pounder in the US. This would make it remarkable item to offer to collectors on his website. If it didn’t fire, it would be back to the garage for more tinkering. To see how it performed, please watch the video above.
Credit: Guns.com