Hello All
Does anyone know the correct colour for L42 transit Chests?
It would be good to know a BS or RAL number, and if it was matt or satin
Thanks...
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Hello All
Does anyone know the correct colour for L42 transit Chests?
It would be good to know a BS or RAL number, and if it was matt or satin
Thanks...
deep bronze green (gloss) as seen on many an Austin champ.......
but after the arms storeman got his hands on them they could be painted any shade of green...
.with unit markings and package markings....(black square for "chalk" number)
Austin champ - now there was a vehicle for young squaddies - with the distributor head governor wedged up with matchsticks!
-but a bit unstable!:D
Just loved the way the steering would start to shake at 50mph.
To be honest, the ones I saw were Land Rover IRR satin/silk colour........ But like Skippy says, once the dozy arms storemen got hold of them with their junior school stencil sets, dymo tape and coloured crayons, they could be anything.......
My L42 chest has obviously been several different color. Has red and silver and yellow bits on it, and has been painted Khaki / olive drab over the complete case at some point. When it was covered they actually painted over bits of paper that were sellotaped on with original rifle, scope and scout scope numbers. I peeled the paint off that sellotape and got home depot to match it to paint a couple of old bren cases I had also.
we have had many, many GPMG (L7) transit boxes with the same method of construction and fittings as the L42 chest (same maker????).Ahey also look to have silver primer and bronze green top coat..
I dont think the GPMG boxes were used as often as the sniper boxes. the GPMG boxes were usually left in the company store as they take up too much room in the armoury
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC01735-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSC01726-1.jpg
If I can find my FSN paint chip fan, I might be able to do some comparative photos. It may be in the model room or mixed with a bunch of warbird rubble. It's been a while since it was needed last! Circa 1993, I guess. For the Shiden-kai restoration.
It's that man again. Ian Cooper, the out examiner, known as Ivan the Terrible to his friends!
Thanks for everyones replies - it would be great if you could get a colour swatch match of the paint on your chest, jmoore - I want to repaint mine as the previous German owner has really gone to town on it with a colour and stencilling that is just so wrong.....
Skiprat - its interesting what you say about the silver primer - my chest has two corner capping plates missing so I removed one to use as a pattern to get some made and found almost gloss silver paint underneath it.
If anyone is interested I'm looking at getting a batch of these capping plates made - punched and plated as the originals - even down to the punced countersunk holes.
If anyone thats interesed can let me know if they want any, and quantities, the more I can get done the cheaper they will be...
PM sent re corner plates and burned fingers Waco.........
Slow am I?
Having dramas with the photo hosting site, but here's some preliminary comparartive photos with an old Federal Standard selection:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...048f0c6d-1.jpg
In certain conditions, FS 34079 seems a good match, but not at all angles:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...c237f30b-1.jpg
34096 (the number is lost in the glare) seems better:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...a4fa7f02-1.jpg
But on the "fancy" chest, the paint is less flat and matches the FS 2xxxx level of sheen better. In this case FS 24079 seems good:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...0781e662-1.jpg
The last chest is more matte than the "fancy" example, so FS 34079 looks good:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...3e63a221-1.jpg
I'm guessing that since the first chest is not only a little different in color but is also of non-standard construction in addition to being heavily used, the paint can also be considered "field expedient" or just a slightly different batch. Interesting how the higher level of sheen makes example two seem darker.
There's about 60 or 70 photos to crop and winnow out, but maybe this won't be alogether too late to be of use.
Thats brilliant - and a great help.
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post the images
I was at a militaria fair a couple of weeks ago and picked up a can of matt NATO issue paint.
After carefully removing a layer of paint from the chest I was able to get down to some of the original. It seems to match pretty well and to the samples you have posted.
Its going to be a project over the Christmas break.
At the same fair I was lucky enough to find an original IWS transit case (minus contents) for the princely sum of £5!
Thanks again
Just note that the match from a distance might not be spot on. (Reference the first photo in Post #13.) This is just some preliminary work. It took a long time to find the old FS test fan thingie, and attention has been elsewhere, lately. Need to try some differing lighting conditions, etc.
(In a fit of madness I'm down to two L42a1s, so the oddball crate will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. It's gonna be expensive getting it back, methinks!)
Can I just say chaps that the dozy blanket stackers that formed the Arms storemen didn't bother too much about the ACTUAL colour code, believe me. Nor it seems do the MT drivers who paint their vehicles with what looks like any available matt khaki and a shaving brush.