Girls dig machine guns!

[NAM VET]

Several days ago, as I mentioned, drove from near Charlotte down to our island near Charleston. When I got here I had to drive downtown and back late, so it was about 300 miles all told. Back roads, easy drive. My main reason was to have my truck in the monthly C&C at the small "village" between our island and Kiawha, a shopping, dining area. Put my gun on, and was one of the first there, then all sorts of nice cars showed up, about 40+, from McLarens to vintage restorations. Lots of hot Mustangs. Had coffee and a bagel, and sat back and enjoyed the crowds. With all the people crowding around my truck I dropped the gate, and put my small step ladder there, and countless kids climbed up to swivel my gun (I had an ammo can and a dummy belt draped over it). I just made sure they never aimed at the crowd. little kids, big kids, dads, and I was amazed at how girls of all ages, from five to teens, just had to get on the gun. Even had some moms tell me. "hold my baby, I want a picture of me on that gun." The organizer told me my truck was the hit of the car show. Lots of military vets had to share their stories with me. It was lots of fun, and now I plan on driving back via Columbia tomorrow, stating overnight with my son and his family, then run home Monday. Very rural driving, other than a few tiny towns. Truck running fine, runs smoothly at about 40 mph. After the show, drove to a wooded area, and shot some more pictures.

Now, let me see if I can post any pics....

NV
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[Halfdunn]

Very nice, great looking M-37.

[T. Highway]

Job well done Hal,

Great pictures and even better that the crowd loved the mounted gun. Thanks for sharing the pictures, I hope that you have more than these two photos to post.

Bert

[Cal_Gary]

Looks like a great time-thanks for sharing!
Gary

[Tom P]

Thanks for Sharing.
Nice looking M37.

Tom

[NAM VET]

all the other pics I have of the C&C have kids in them, so best not to post here on a public forum. But I then took a few on a quiet road near the beach. Like this one. Top is from New Life Canvas.

NV
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[soupermike]

The truck looks great!!! I plan on building a mount for an airsoft 1919.

[NAM VET]

My gun is from Rogue Island Arsenal, out west. I bought a full cradle mount from BMG, but you can get a simple pintle cheaper. I think my cradle will also hold an M242. My cradle has an attachment for an ammo can. No need for a travel bar with my pedestal, also from BMG:, it has locking pins. While I don't think M37's were ever standard with pedestal mounts, (the front one that mounts to the front of the bed was available), I have seen pics of modifications to make them thin-skinned "gun trucks." I also imagine the recoil from a 50 cal would have beat the truck up a lot. From Rogue Island, I also bought a new old stock canvas cover. Was interesting to unwrap it from its original 1950's packing. Since I reload, I made up a belt of 30-06 to drape over the gun. To make a non firing 1919 gun, the right side plate has to be thicker than a real one, so a bolt won't actually fit in the receiver. By the way, the gun was $1600, the other parts about a thousand more.

Some states, like NC, have laws about having even a replica on other than in "special events", my SC has no such law. I talked with my local PD before I got the gun, and they told me they would love to see it, that other vintage military vehicles were around with guns, but they would appreciate not having a lot of phone calls about me. So I don't drive around with the gun on. To more securily hold the pedestal, I put some metal bars under the bed where I used locking nuts to hold the pedestal to the floor of the bed. I also bought a tripod and T&E just for fun.

As an advisor with MACV in Vietnam, M1919 guns were everywhere. I have some pics of me from back then handling them. Our US troops in their advisory compounds had M60's. I had friends who kept themselves alive in their bunker by running one long 8000 round belt thru their gun in one LONG burst. If you have ever seen a long burst from an M60, pretty soon the barrel gets white hot and the tracers start igniting in the barrel. Both the Captain and his SFC had to go on VA disability for their permanent hearing loss.

I had recently noted my brake lights didn't work, and apparently never had. so with some sleuthing under the dash, realized I had two wires that weren't connected, so fixed that, and now Every Light on my truck works. Even BO and Cat eye rears. I also had a short in my horn, where the wire had pulled out of the pin in the Isolator, so soldered an inch of splice to the two wires, and my horn now works again.

A few trivial details to attend to, and then hopefully not much more than routine maintenance.

All the best from UpState SC.

NV

[superbee70]

Great looking truck and really love the stories from back in the day!

[NAM VET]

no, I doubt it was that many belts. But the Captain did tell me they linked up belt after belt and just kept firing at the 90 degree entrance to their bunker. I have indeed seen M60 barrels grow white hot and tracer rounds ignite in the barrel. He and I met up a decade 14 years later, when we were both assigned to Bragg at NC. And he did have a hearing loss. Here is are the two of them, cleaning their weapons prior to all this at their little advisory compound, Ken Van. Next, is a pic of their bunker. It was made off concrete filled sandbags, with an inner room protected by of course by a 90 degree entrance. Let me see if I can get these two pics to post.

NV

[NAM VET]

Pic of Ken Van, my jeep there on a visit.
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