"Non Standard" L42a1 Transit Chest (Photo Thread)

This heavily used and several times repaired chest came with it's matching (black painted "2" on the stock, even) L42a1 purchased in the mid-1990s. It wasn't until a few years later that i realized that it was not quite the same as most L42a1 transit chests. So here's some photos of something a little bit different:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...da6a9752-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...3e441cff-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4c0689b8-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...d915ca40-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ef6d29fc-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cae64ebe-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...10c32a1f-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...857b2f63-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...c9e729c5-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4e5f255d-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...a44acecd-1.jpg

No corner reinforcements, odd hinges that may be replacements after a couple of previous repairs, a single closure which does the duty of the usual three, and the carry strap plates are all different than usual- and that's just the outside!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmoore

This heavily used and several times repaired chest came with it's matching (black painted "2" on the stock, even) L42a1 purchased in the mid-1990s. It wasn't until a few years later that i realized that it was not quite the same as most L42a1 transit chests. So here's some photos of something a little bit different:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...da6a9752-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...3e441cff-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4c0689b8-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...d915ca40-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ef6d29fc-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cae64ebe-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...10c32a1f-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...857b2f63-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...c9e729c5-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...4e5f255d-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...a44acecd-1.jpg

No corner reinforcements, odd hinges that may be replacements after a couple of previous repairs, a single closure which does the duty of the usual three, and the carry strap plates are all different than usual- and that's just the outside!

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That chest is the result of a weapon used as a toy. Somebody had fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arado

That chest is the result of a weapon used as a toy. Somebody had fun.

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Eh? Me no savvy.

It left service, was sold to a wholesaler and/or importer, shipped to the US, then to a local dealer. All in reasonably short order. It was never in "private hands" until either I or a friend had it. (And IF he had it it was for maybe a month or two.)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6d4d9798-1.jpg
Still has this intact label on one end.

I've never seen an L42 chest with horse hair padding. I've had about 60 of them through here. Interesting.

It just LOOKS like the chest that the 50mm mortar (replaced the 2" mortar) came in. When kit is returned to Ordnance it has to go back as a CES and that includes the chest. No 'dues out' or 'in-lieu' or other such crap is allowed. I'm inded to suggest that at sometime in its life Y39111's chest went missing and someones just made uip a good copy that would pass a cursory clance by the blanket stacker at its next point of call.

As you can imagine, during the last days of the Bren/L4's, there was a great hunt oin for Bren chests to augment those old original ones that had seen better days since the 40's and had been scrapped. As a little aside there, Ordnance accepted this and as the Brens were due for destruction/disposal in any case, only the guns, magazines and other bits were necessarily returned, not even to CES