Fox firing mechanisms
 

I finally completed the pistol grips and mechanisms that are used to fire the 30 cal. and 50 cal. Browning machine guns in my Fox. At first all I had was the wartime factory photo that showed them and I had no idea how they worked or whether they were mechanical or electrical/solenoid. A gem of a gentleman in Italy provided me with photos and a cast aluminum copy to work with.

My copies function (originally I was going to settle for non working cosmetic ones). It turns out they are mechanical and somewhat work like bicycle brakes, only the cable is fixed and it's the conduit that is pulled upward to engage a piston in the firing mechanism that triggers the guns. The 30 cal. operates the regular gun trigger and the 50 cal. uses a side mounted firing adapter. Both are different and I'm glad I checked that before making two identical ones which was my original thought. If you're a plumber you'll know what I used for the conduits. It's the exact same material they used for these during the war.

The lever on the left of the pistol grip is a safety that you depress with your thumb to allow the trigger to operate.

Last pic is the firing mechanisms on the shoulder stock where they have mounts to hold them when not attached to the guns.

Beautiful work Bruce, look forward to seeing them in situ. :thup2:

Bruce, are you going to do anymore sets of the grips?

I haden't planed on it, they were a bugger to do. If there was interest (for the grips, or do you mean the whole rig?) I think casting or 'scanning and metal printing' the ones I've made would be the route to go. Solid cast cosmetic ones would not be too hard.

Here's the Italian originals I patterned my copies after, and that wartime factory pic showing them:

Just to close this off, here are some pics of the firing mechanisms installed. First, seen attached to the M1919A4 and M2HB Brownings. Second, a closer pic showing how the 30 cal. is fired by lifting the trigger and the 50 from a lever actuating the 50 cal. side firing adapter. Next the pistol grips below the guns and last the brass catching bag and chutes.

These look like standard British pattern triggers used in all British manufactured AFV's. I believe Tobin in the UK made some recently. Not sure if his functioned or not.

Certainly there were many 'standard' British components that were copied in Canadian production but virtually all were significantly different in detail (and generally rather better for it !). For example the round pistol ports in a Ram turret are almost identical to those in a Churchill tank sponson door - but not exactly. the Fox itself was a vastly modified copy of a Humber AC. I would be very surprised if he British ones share any identical parts with the Canadian ones.

David

As there doesn't seem to be boxes of NOS grips out there I'm happy to have something in the turret. The devices attached to the Browning MGs would be unique to Fox I think, marrying up the British grips to American MGs.

The grips do certainly look exactly like 2pdr and BESA, even the internal mechanism, Cheers Andrew.

Sentinel & Rhino
 

Similar to Aust Sentinel and Rhino, too.

Understandable given the degree of interchange between Commonwealth countries during the Second World War - detailed drawings, plans, images and even physical examples.

Mike