Gun Socket support

[Yoony]

How many holes should be
in browning gun socket support.
Two or four ?
I found both versions

[Dinadin]

I don't know, but I also have a question about the holes.  I have original armor and top rail, with holes located for the MG side mounts, but there are no holes in the armor for those brackets.  Where they welded on, bolted on, or did they just rest against the armor?

[Outsider]

Bolted on. Sounds like you have M16A1 sides? I have heard they did not have the holes for the mounts as they didn't use them.

I have 2 holes on my original M3 side armor pieces.


Steve

[Dinadin]

Yeah Steve, mine was convert to M16A1 a one time.  It started off as a M3, then convert to an M3A1, and then to a M16A1.  I could be wrong, but I find it odd that they would replace the side armor and keep the top rail, so I assume that I have the original armor.  It does seem that every couple of months I am discovering new things about all the holes in the top rail.  It looks like mine might have even had four MGs mounted on the walls, one on each side and possibly two on the rear.

[spec4don]

Steve aren't the 2 holes you have circled for the bows? I thought gun sockets were bolted right at the seam between the armor plates?

Don G.

[Outsider]

M2 is at the seam of the upper and lower armor plates I believe. M3's only use one plate from top to bottom.

Holes for the bow mounting brackets are in a straight line. Not diagonal from each other.

Rich, Possibly were your side plates replaced during rebuild if they were damaged?, or were the holes welded closed? Don't know of any other reason they would not have the holes. As I stated before I had heard that they were not included on the M16A1 plates.

Steve

[Outsider]

Just pulled out my Hunnicut HT book and looked it over with a magnifying glass and it shows early M3's with out the side mounts, and no bolts in the side armor.

Steve

[spec4don]

Steve I was looking at the way the rear bow mounts and the picutres show it angling back toward the rear of the machine. But it looks like they mount lower then ones in your picture. I'll need to get those measurements one of these days.

Don G.

[Dinadin]

Steve it could be that when the side mounts were added to the M3s that were already built they didn't want to drill the armor.  But afterward the plate was pre-drilled prior to hardening and installation of the plate.