-
Advisory Panel
I think the reason Parkerizing covers nickel better is the fact it's a coating instead of bluing with goes into the pores of the metal. I also understood "Armasteel" was a sintered steel pressed into solid form. I was under the impression it wasn't successful...and was ny used for a short time. I take it this M2 is an example of one in existence...
-
-
11-05-2018 12:12 PM
# ADS
Friends and Sponsors
-
Legacy Member
All those bring back memories. Thompsons and BARs were readily available in Viet Nam. I kept a Bridgeport M1A1 on my tank as a personal weapon. Upon DEROS it went to a friend in another unit. The M1919 is a veritable treasure!! The M48A3 tank came with the incredibly unreliable M73 machine gun. My solution was to reverse the modifications made to the turret and gun mount and reinstall the .30 caliber Browning. We would get asked what we did to make our coax work so well. The BAR is the granddaddy of the M240 that US tankers finally got in the mid-eighties, although most GIs do not know that.
-
Thank You to old tanker For This Useful Post:
-
-
Contributing Member
I think the reason Parkerizing covers nickel better is the fact it's a coating instead of bluing with goes into the pores of the metal. I also understood "Armasteel" was a sintered steel pressed into solid form. I was under the impression it wasn't successful...and was ny used for a short time. I take it this M2 is an example of one in existence...
Jim-- Armasteel was a product of the General Motors Corporation which involved the use castings instead of usual forgings to minimize the time to machine parts thus speeding up production of the M1919A4 which the GM Saginaw steering Division became later in WWII the sole supplier of the M1919A4 when production was consolidated. GM Divisions that produced the Browning M2 were General Motors Corporation (Frigidaire, AC Spark Plug, Saginaw Steering, and Brown-Lipe-Chappin Divisions). Armasteel was used in GM products like crankshafts and transmission components. After the war parts supplied the US military were generally forged and machined. Bill Ruger saw the value in castings for firearms and built his company to the great firearms company it is today based on castings. I have attached a link to a GM brochure on Armasteel.
GM Heritage Center Archive | Manufacturing Facilities | ArmaSteel and Malleable Iron Castings, Central Foundry, Division General Motors
And another on Saginaw Steering Gear and ArmaSteel -- http://www.smallarmsreview.com/displ...darticles=1459
Cheers
--fjruple
Last edited by fjruple; 11-05-2018 at 08:08 PM.
-
The Following 2 Members Say Thank You to fjruple For This Useful Post:
-
Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
fjruple
GM Divisions that produced the Browning M2 were General Motors Corporation (Frigidaire, AC Spark Plug, Saginaw Steering, and Brown-Lipe-Chappin Divisions)
These I knew about, used to study the makers marks on our 1919A4s and m2 .50s... I can see where this organization got used to using castings...yes, Ruger brought those to the general shooting public.
-
-
Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
fjruple
...GM Divisions that produced the Browning M2 were General Motors Corporation (Frigidaire, AC Spark Plug, Saginaw Steering, and Brown-Lipe-Chappin Divisions)...
I was at a reunion at Fort Carson when one of the other geezers in our group asked the young Spec 4 who was briefing us on the M2A1 machinegun with fixed headspace and timing if it was new production. The young lad did not know. Let him know most of the story was stamped on the guns he had there. All those marked "AC Sparkplug," "Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company," and so on were World War Two production guns. It wasn't until the mid-Eighties or so that the Army needed to replenish its stock and RAMO was awarded a contract to build new guns. We also pointed out the prominent "ANAD" on most of the weapons on his cart indicating they had been overhauled (and converted to the A! configuration) at Anniston Army Depot. He was taken aback to realize that the newest gun he was responsible for had been built before he was born and most before his grandfather was born.
-
-
Legacy Member
early BMG M2 extractor
Found this many years ago in the spare parts and saved it. Note the lack of finish and the RS inspectors stamp which would indicate Hartford District aroundAttachment 96964Attachment 96965 1941
-
-
Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
old tanker
It wasn't until the mid-Eighties or so that the Army needed to replenish its stock and RAMO was awarded a contract to build new guns.
I remember that. Most of the .50s had degraded after RVN and no requirement to refurbish... I remember when we went to Pendleton and the USMC was happily showing us their BRAND NEW RAMO .50s... Anyone remember what that contract called for? Something like 800 guns at $8000 each?
Originally Posted by
RCS
the RS inspectors stamp
Is that Robert Sears?
-
-
Legacy Member
I do believe it is Col Robert Sears, he was a inspector in the Hartford District in 1941 where the Westinghouse BMG 50 cal was being
manufactured. Also Col Sears inspected the Colt 1911A1 and the first production Winchester M1 rifles in 1941 too
-
Thank You to RCS For This Useful Post:
-
Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
RCS
the first production Winchester
M1 rifles in 1941
I thought it might be the same man.
-
-
Legacy Member
-
Thank You to theholeinthedonut For This Useful Post: