gunner handgrip MK-II/MK-II*

[Lynn Eades]

How long did that last Petr???
Is the leather / rubber thing a rubber shortage thing?
I have Army Council Instructions that ordered the return of erasers from worn out pencils, for re cycling.

[Petr Brezina]

Untill today I guess
Here is one pic for reference. Right one is original, left new copy.

[Lynn Eades]

Great detail. Thankyou Petr.

[Colin Alford]

MichaelR,

If these images show the remains of a late Canadian handgrip then it appears that the construction is a leather wrap over a wood core.

On the pictured item, it appears that the metal ring is actually two pieces (an inner and outer ring) which may clamp the bottom edge of the leather.

The wood portion might be in two halves as there are two gaps in the remains which are 180 degrees apart.

Colin

[Colin Alford]

Upon further thought about the possibility of the wood being in two halves, maybe the wood was grooved to allow the leather seem to lay flush, and at the ferrule end ( smallest external diameter) this groove became a notch in the wood thereby explaining the apparent gap in the limited remains.

[Michael R.]

Good stuff, thanks for the replies.

I may disassemble the complete one to discover how it was constructed.
One day we may find the factory drawings? Until then...

[Mike Gurr]

Close up of the grab handle in my Carrier built March 1944