Transit Chest Images - For those interested

[Peter Laidler]

The label inside looks typically UK style but I have never seen one of the chests for a GPMG. But I'll ask on Tuesday. However, the rest of the spec doesn't sound like ours. Ouirs are L7A2 and our serial numbers are all similar to BL65A---- or UE72A and latterly there is another maker identifier that I won't go into Maybe the VE is meant to read UE

[bigduke6]

May sound like a daft question but can anyone give a date the first No4T transit chests were produced ? and would early No4T,s been issued with no chest ?

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, the early No4T's weren't issued with chests at all. Earliest were simply Bren chests (actually in the VAOS catalogues as Chest, SA No9 and later No11, Mk1) converted. The chests as we know them came on stream in late '41

[bigduke6]

Would the early rifles and kit remain with a bren converted chest or would they be upgrded at some point?

[Peter Laidler]

In my experience, as soon as a T was going back to Ordnance it'd go back in the non standard chest. That way you'd get rid of the odd GS telescope and Mk2 or 2/1 scopes that were still sloshing around in the system. That's because what we wanted was standardisation. The last time I saw a Bren chest for a No4T was at an old TA unit that was being closed down at Banbury. You can tell if they were original because there didn't seem to be any sign of the old Bren fittings. There were a few of them used to support the firing point of the old 25 yard indoor range.

I remember this range well because also stashed away under the firing point were a load of the cardboard boxes that had been used to issue their Sten guns in the 40's. Ix sten gun all broken down, a sling, mag filler, pullthrough, and 5 mags as I recall. I went back for a Sten box a bit later but they'd all been thrown in the skip!

[fergs]

Show me one of these Pommy MAG58/L7-GPMG boxes! I haven't seen one here...............

here you are i finnally got to take some snaps of the mag58 boxes note the hinges and the hasp for the front..
there obviously is a simil;ar pedigree for these boxes and the manufacture of the sniper transit boxes.
Regards
Fergs

[Peter Laidler]

Skippy and Tankie............. Have you ever seen chests for the UK L7 GPMG's? The little green label inside looks like one of our ABRO work labels but is probably an Australian Army one. It LOOKS Australian by the wood protecting rail along the front. We had it on our L2 rifle and Bren boxes when I was there. But doesn't look like a pom box

[skiprat]

I've just shipped two L7 GPMGs off for the weekend, both in issued crates as in the photo posted by Son. (on page 3)
the early crates were the same but fitted with the same hasps as fitted to the Bren boxes (and No15 chest!!!!!!) the latter ones have the less useful toggle type..

[Peter Laidler]

That's the definitive answer then Skippy. I asked our arms storeman and he hasn't seen them. But we do still have some 1965 dated tired and well thrashed L7A2 GPMG's. It seems as though nothing can replace them............................

[BushyFromOz]

Sorry for the necro on this thread, but i was lead here by searching the forums for the answer to a question and i found it in this thread, though i would like our learned members confirmation

I bought this transit chest a few years ago for the sum of 45 dollars, thinking it was for a Bren gun, and would be neat for storing junk in. I didnt understand the layout of the chocks and thought the "extra holes" were to clamp barrels down. But now, having seen one of Son's posts, I think i had the chocks in upside down and back the front, i think it might be for a No1 Mk3 HT rifles, unfortunately it is in bad shape (much worse than the pics suggest) and needs to0 be disassembled for repair

Pics attached (the chocks are upside down in one of the pics). The upper parts of the chocks which are not in Son's pic look like they have the same lugs that are on the far ends of the chest mirror imaged, i assume to hold the scope cans between the end walls, the chocks and the lid.

I would like to know what the leather strap is in the bottom for