Rifle clips / mounts, standard design?
 

Were .303 vehicle rifle clips a standard design or did they differ with every vehicle? I wondered if I need to fabricate replacement for my Loyd carrier front plate or if I can search out a NOS pair for a more common vehicle.

https://flic.kr/p/2g96B8E

Rifle clips
 

These were a standard fitting I think. They look to be the same as fitted on the jeep windscreen apron by the British. WW2 Fabrications, purveyors of British Airborne and SAS Jeep modification parts offer new reproduction ones if all else fails. Just fitted a couple of the flat ones to my MWR on the mount between the seats. Bolted straight on.

I think there are different styles
 

Hi Guys

I believe there are at least two different styles used on Chevy CMPs don't know if it splits along Pattern 11, 12, 13 or body type. I'll look see if find photos of different ones.

Also think there is an old thread on the topic, which mentioned different clip mounts depending which weapons vehicle crew were carring.

Cheers Phil

There were two styles of rubberized rifle clip: Type #1 (for the barrel end of the rifle) and Type #2 (for the rifle butt). In a typical CMP only Type #1 is used because the rifle butt rests in a wooden socket. On the windshield of a Canadian MB or in a Wireless or Personnel CMP body there would have been a Type #1 for the barrel end of the rifle and a Type #2 which clipped onto the rifle butt stock. So Type #2 has a larger opening than Type #1. I have NOS Type #1. Maybe they can be "stretched" to function as Type #2 which have a wider spread. ………. Brian

Are your original clips leather covered? Not riveted in place, but perhaps sewn over the spring steel portion? The Canadian Universal Carrier production lined the spring steel with leather, which was copper riveted in place. An assortment of clip sizes and shapes can be observed on the C31UCW NO-2 MK-II* carrier, depending on the weapon stowage. From front clip size for Sten barrel, to shoulder stock size for the BREN.

CMP vehicle clips #1 and #2 were both rubber covered and look similar to the clips in Alastair's original photo. Carrier clips typically had rivetted leather rub strips.

If you can find originals without the rubber you can clean them up and coat with a vinyl goop available in hardware stores. It works surprisingly well.

interesting
 

Bruce,

Do you happen to know the name of said goop?

Have got some clips on my truck that need doing.

Bunnings sells Plasti-Dip.

This is from a few years ago but I've seen it or a similar product in the local hardware as recently as this week.

Back when we could order the CMP clips from the Cdn supply system, I did see someone get some leather ones mixed in with the typical rubber ones.

Thanks Chaps
 

Bruce and Tony,

Thank you very much. I reckon I might give it a go.

That's interesting Rob, so either/or could have finished up on a carrier/truck in service..??

Yes, the leather ones would have been installed the same as the rubberized ones.

I think I have a box of them at work. I'll check to see which variation they are.