VICKERS MK6B's resto

[Big D]

Outstanding Colin!

[David Dunlop]

Hello Colin.

What a wonderful milestone to have reached!

Do you have an idea as to how much each of those final drives weighs in at? You must be getting close to heat wave season and I suspect that might start influencing your time in the shop. Be nice having a bit more of the grunt work finally behind you.

You will have to record the Meadows starting up again. Be grand to hear the old girl’s heart beating once more after so many years of silence! I shall have a big bowl of crisps and a cold beer ready for the occasion!

David

[Howard]

I'm still enjoying this thread.
I still hate you, Colin Jones.

H

[Dave lean]

Hi everyone, Col has been a bit busy with other commitments lately so not too much on offer regarding the latest works. So I thought I would fill in the gap (as it were) and show you one of the gas firing 303 Vickers that will be fitted up to both tanks. This is a completely scratch built replica in metal ( other than the grips which are wooden) I have had to take one or two liberties with some of the design as some here would no doubt notice but keep in mind that once fitted up, they will stay in the turrets and those minor alterations won't be obvious. Both 303 guns are only days away from testing. The .5 Vickers have yet to be built as I am still waiting on some crucial info that is needed beforehand but they will be ready before Colin is anywhere near finishing the tanks.

[Mike Cecil]

Dave

Nice -no, outstanding job. Looking forward to the images of the test runs.

I suppose that you and Colin have investigated the legal aspects of owning/operating/displaying replica simfire weapons, so would you be willing to enlighten us on those issues please? For example, if Colin wanted to take his tank complete with replica MGs to Corowa (NSW) via Victorian roads, what legalities would he need to satisfy in each state before he traveled?

Mike

[Dave lean]

Hi Mike, As yet these issues have yet to be resolved, We shouldn't have any problems here in SA as we already have a number of similar SFRW's certified by SAPOL. However the interstate authorities are bound to be a problem no doubt. I heard of one fellow year before last at Corowa being threatened by the local cop that he would be arrested if he didn't remove the "broom handle" from the turret of his vehicle.. If this is true then you will appreciate our desire to not display the guns which would be a great pity. Anyway this is something that will need investigating with the appropriate people when the time comes. So stand by for more on this subject. cheers Dok.

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Dave, that is interesting, and your story about the broomstick sort of mirrors my experience with the NSW police about 10 years ago over transporting some operational semi-automatic firearms between Canberra and Greytown, Victoria, and back again. They would be in NSW for maybe 5 hours each way.

Government-owned (but not Defence), and in a government vehicle. Victoria said go for it, no problem, thanks for the phone call. NSW wanted an application for a ministerial exemption, told us that would take months to process, and were pretty abrupt about it.

The solution, silly as it may seem, was to consign them to a civilian transport company, which are apparently exempt in terms of transporting 'prohibited' weapons if they are packed in a sealed box!! Go figure that one out: I never could.

I'll look forward to hearing how things progress on that front.

Mike