Armstrong 252 circa 1977

This is Armstrong Products version of the "Mil-spec 252" from 1977.
It's a much better made lantern than the SMP examples. Much heavier and the top is enamel not "painted".

 

Is that lantern unfired, @george ?


Cheers

Tony

 

@Tony Press
No, Tony. It's been fired but apparently not used very much. It's in good condition.

 

@george Lovely condition. I've a 1977 Armstrong Mil-Spec and although it is good, yours is in a different league. Good effort, well done. Thank you for sharing.

 

Thanks to you all for the comments!

 

I found out just recently that when SMP had the contract they went to the military and asked them for permission to "paint" the tops instead of turning them out with enamel coating. This was probably a move on their part to make it cheaper to produce, thus a little more profit to be made...

 

A fine example!

 

Anyone knows if the frames and collars on these Milspecs had been painted or treated in some other ways?
The olive drab coating on mine doesn't appear very much like paint.

 

@george Here is what that looks like in practice: Coleman Mil-Spec (1963), Armstrong Mil-Spec (1977), SMP (1980)

Lanterns:



Hoods, (same order):

 

@MYN The frames and collars do have a protective coating, not sure what it is though.

 

You can tell the difference, can't you? What surprised me is how much heavier the Armstrong 252 seems to be than the other examples. Just seems to be a better quality lantern than the SMP's.
In all fairness I don't have an SMP Mil-spec so maybe I'm being unfair in my judgement.

 

I'm not sure too because those on my AFM milspec certainly don't behave like typical paints. It can't be removed with the usual high VOC, methylene chloride paint strippers.
My wild guess:,..I think, they should be some forms of zinc plating which were then post-treated in some chromic acid-based passivation baths.
I'm aware that there are a number of military standard specifications to be met for corrosion protection on aluminium, zinc, etc parts or platings. I can't remember the exact codes for that.
Those have something concerning metal passivation by conversion coatings in which chromating(not chrome plating) is one of them. And olive drab chromated surfaces offer the highest protection among them.
I suspect those protective coatings, (aside from vitreous enamel and paint), on the milspecs could be one of the conversion coats.