Can any former British tanker provide some information on this M2 tripod?

[Peter Laidler]

I don't understand that Mk7........ If we/UK were making them, they'd be in use in our 60's and 70's tanks and other AFV's surely? That cross pin retaining method is nothing I've ever seen before on machine guns. And we'd be using the standard Vckers method - and the Vickers type chain that came from Ordnance in 12" lengths.

I don't know of course but just putting across the negative side

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[MG34_Dan]

... That cross pin retaining method is nothing I've ever seen before on machine guns. ...

That method is exactly what is used on a commercial Colt M35 tripod from the inter war period. I know this because I have an ersatz Colt 1928 water cooled gun along with its period correct M35 tripod. A little less than 1000 of these were sold by Colt to Argentina from 1928 through 1930. They made it back to the US in the late '80s where they were reincarnated.

My amateur photos below may not show the cross pin retaining method clearly, but I can assure you they are identical to the M2's above.





To correctly insert the M35 cross pins, one must position both cross pin handles to the 12:00 position and insert them. When the handles drop, the cross pins are locked.

On the M2 tripod pictured above, both cross pin handles are placed at the 9:00 position for insertion.