T-16 S/N 5399 T.D. 97377 Restoration

[Philliphastings]

Lol unobtainium ! -t's about the only susbstance that resists our local very corrosive salt lake infested country out my way. Anything made of Iron or steel degrades to the consistency of cornflakes but brass remains like new...

Cheers

Phill

[horsa]

Hey Phill, The Brass/Bronze WWII era stuff down your way is always scarce due to the postwar salvage efforts. I've seen a lot of other items lacking it where someone robbed the part for melting down. This mount must have been hidden pretty well to stay in its proper form.

Been having a sideline discussion on the upper Bren mounting part with some other guys and will take closer shots and get measurements uploaded later today of that item.

And thanks again John for the other Weasel shots. A lot of British wartime unit histories refer to them Universal Carriers with continuous tracks or lightweight UCs. Makes it tough sometimes to determine what units used various types of vehicles including the T-16s since they are also UCs.

[horsa]

Hope these help. All parts are made of steel which was welded together. The only markings are on the adjustment lever and include a code and 1942 date.

[Lynn Eades]

I will post some pics of mine, which looks more original, or may be early production, in the area of the pintle and bolt.
The bolt has a "Dog" under the head which can engage in three different locations, which allows the handle to be tight in a convenient locacation.

I also have one with the large pintle used when the bren is mounted in the vickers mount in Aust. carriers.

[horsa]

I've seen a third version of the lower mounting point (pintle post?) designed for these Bren cradles for use on the heavier Vickers mount. It more closely resembled your lower but the post was like a shortened steel version of the post used on the Vickers Mk IV mount for the standard tripod.

I'm fairly sure that the lower on my example was made for use on the lighter bronze/brass carrier mounts. The unknown is was it a wartime mod or something someone did because they didn't have one of the heavier Vickers mounts that these were intended for when first produced? Being a modification, I’m considering the option of cutting the lower post off and welding in a short length of appropriate thickness steel rod. That would allow it to be used with a mount on the carrier’s side hull. My heavier mount could always be used with a standard Vickers setup if we put it on the Weasel. Can’t put that one on the T-16 as we have a lower locker under the sloping armor where the Aussie heavy mount would bolt onto a plate of steel that hangs down in that location.

[Lynn Eades]

The Vickers mount

[horsa]

Yep, that last mount is what I'm used to seeing for the Bren cradle when used on the heavy Vickers mount.

Did the Kiwi carrier have there as well or were they only on the Aussie carriers?