My latest project almost done.

[rob love]

Here are a few shots of the assembly as it came together. I went with the semigloss green over the POR15. The green will flatten over time to give it some patina.



As I went to install the first cradle, and comparing with the manual, I realized I was missing two large bolts with nuts that the two cradles hinged on. I searched a few places, and had just about given up, when I realized I brought home that 25 pdr chassis at the same time, and Dennis had included some spare parts with it. The spare parts were sitting in a box just 10 feet away, and sure enough, the two missing bolts and nuts were there. Dennis, if you are reading this, you were right. In the end, there was one missing 6" long 1/2" UNF bolt, nut, a tube that fits onto it, and lockwashers, but I will be able to buy the missing bolt downtown and make up the missing tube.

[Jordan Baker]

Great project and really nice to see one of the items Dennis cherished getting the full up rebuild it deserves. I’m sure he is pleased.

[rob love]

I have mis-filed some in between photos, so jump to today and here is where it sits now. I got the mount mostly together yesterday and tossed the pair of 50s onto it. I still have to change one to right hand feed configuration, which can be a bugger on a deact. At this point, I now have to refinish the clamps for the shoulder braces, the cradle pins, and clean up and install the tombstone drums. I missed out on the ones at Dennis' auction last December, this pair of drum mags cost me considerably more than if I had made it to that bidding ring. As well, the swing chair has to be refinished and installed. I also have to figure out what marking will go on the shield.

My plan was to move this in to the gunroom, but the damn thing weighs in at 875 pounds without the guns or drums. It is likely at around 1100 pounds with those items and the dummy ammo. I am now leaning towards it residing in the workshop, as that shield is too heavy to install without a tractor.

The photos make it look pretty simple, but in reality I had to remove the left cradle about 4 or 5 times trying to get the elevation clamp adjusted properly along with other tasks. There were a few other instances of having to remove major assembly's in that old adage of "two steps forward and one step back". Then I had to remove the front portions to get the front shield onto it.

[Wayne Hingley]

Very nice Rob. A great piece for sure. What fun that would have been to fire!

[rob love]

Wayne: I was hoping to find out how much fun it would be to fire, but the recent OIC has stopped that endeavour. A change in the current party would open up that possibility again.

[Ed Storey]

Attached is a photograph of the RCN demonstrating the twin A.A. Mounting as well as a page illustrating the various M2 types.

F-4293 (2) copy.jpg

Browning Machine Guns, Caliber .50, M2 - Caliber .50, M2 Browning Machine Gun - How the Gun Work.jpg

[rob love]

Thanks for the photo Ed. Also for the data on the 50s. I had no idea the watercooled guns were so much heavier. It makes me wonder why the spring for the aircooled guns had more coils than the water cooled spring. One would think it would be the opposite.

Tonight I got the brackets for the shoulder stocks sandblasted, painted and installed. Also got the proper pins for the two guns sandblasted, painted and most of them installed. I placed the two tombstone mags on it.....tres cool. They will get sandblasted and painted next. I also hung the swing seat on it. The web is in poor condition on it, so that will require some work.



A rather short project of just a couple weeks. I wish all the projects were this short....I might have a chance of getting most of them done.

[Harry Moon]

Next time I'm up at Yorke Island I'll take some specific pictures and measurements of the two .50 anti aircraft positions and mounts.