No 4 Mk1 T Transit box Reproductions/Canadian Version

[MichielVR]

hello

nice work grant.

i was thinking of making one myself.
but where do you get the hardware?

i hate to strip one of my vickers boxes for its fittings.

[NavyShooter]

Grant,

I have a partially refinished box at home for my #4(T), alas, the gent who owned it prior to myself appears to have re-painted the exterior.



He also removed some of the wooden blocks inside, and appears to have painted the interior also.

What is the possibility of borrowing or buying a copy of your stencils to put on my transit chest?

The cost of mailing the box to you for application might be a bit high....

Thanks,

NS

[Maple_Leaf_Eh]

It has been over a year since Grant and I exchanged hardware, which I stripped off a pile of derelict CNo.7 chests, and he shipped me a reproduction No.15 chest. I made a deal with him to wait a year before introducing myself. Since he has made such a positive impact on the community with his chests, I owe him the courtesy of not undermining his business. However, I do have more hardware, assorted screws and a variety of little 65yr old wooden internal bits. If anyone wants ones or twos, not dozens, I will be happy to accomodate their needs.

I will contact Navyshooter separately - there is a little interservice rivalry to iron out before I do business with him! Coming to CFSAC this year?

[NavyShooter]

MLE,

I got your message, and no, alas, CFSAC doesn't appear to be in the plans for me this year....I'm still off the coast of Libya right now...

I have the original box, alas, what I'm after is proper stencils for it.

NS

[grant580]

I have not been watching the site for awhile as I have been busy trying to fill a couple of orders for some transit boxes. I have been working on one for Limpetmine that will have a "Lexan" glass front that has been very challenging. I will post pictures of it when done for everyone.

It is very honourable of Maple leaf Eh not to interfer with my projects and sale of the transit boxes and I deeply appreciate him keeping his word. I would have no problem with him selling spare parts to anyone who needs the help. After all, the idea of this site is to help one another with our passions.
If anyone needs any stencils or repro parts or repairs done to their box I would be happy to help. Best to contact Maple Leaf Eh for hardware sets if he has any left, I need mine for future boxes. I will be sending you a PM Navy Shooter asap.

[grant580]

Some time ago Peter L. made mention of a Bren gun chest that had a see-through front made of plexiglass. A Gentleman on this sight asked me to build one like it for his No 4 mk 1 L.B. Sniper rifle. I have just finished it and thought everyone would like to see it. It has a front made of a material called "Lexan", which seems to be superior to Plexiglass. I dovetailed the Lexan into the pine sides of the chest and it machined better than wood.

[newbieDAN]

And how sweet it is !!!!!

[tbonesmith]

My total material cost is roughly $100 for each box so I guess if the $400 price seems like a lot, it's not.

Unbelievably reasonable... dare I say cheap. If I was making them here, and billing out the hours, there would be no way they'd come out under $1000 each and to do that I'd need to be making them at least 3 or 4 at a time.
Beautiful work, they should be around testifying to the quality of your craftsmanship for a LONG time.

[rayg]

Thanks for the nice comments kajn65, it is very much appreicated. I will try and answer some of your questions.



One thing I always wondered about is during the war the sniper was issued the box and it's contents, what would happen to the box itself once he was on a misson, or in battle? Did it get carried around in a lorrie with the unit, or kept with the armourers or what? Maybe some of the senior collectors might be able to answer that one?
RG

I'm curious about that also, Ray

[Maple_Leaf_Eh]

I'm curious about that also, Ray

The question is, so what did the sniper do with the chest when he was out on a mission'?'

Like everything else in the company, it followed behind in the echelon. The storeman had trucks and four- or two-wheeled trailers, filled with supplies, parts and replacements. All depending on the scale of issue. If the front was generally stable, the supplies were dumped (literally) in a safe place. Not having transport really slowed modern warfare. For example, one of the Canadian regiments (Hastings and Prince Edward County, I think) lost its trucks in the Sicily invasion, and it was a long and miserable trudge until the higher echelons could replace enough of them.