Ring Mount Question

[FreightTrain]

ok,I see a few M66 rings on Ebay with no legs.How hard is it to either make or find real issue legs for the mounts?Also,can I get away with not reenforcing the cab if a M2 won't be up there other than when the truck is parked or for short 5 minute drives at our machine gun shoots?Got a buddy that has a M2 Full auto and after I got my deuce 5 years ago he has been dropping me hints about a ring mount.Think it would kinda fun do drive cross the range with him launching a nice long belt into the cars just before or just after a cease fire.

 

[hndrsonj]

M66 ring mounts are extremely heavy. I have 2 and don't have mine mounted yet because I don't want to risk cracking my cab. I would think starting and stopping would have an effect on the thin cabs after awhile without the reinforcement kits (let alone throwing a 100# gun up there). The kits seem pretty stout and look easy enough to make if I'd ever get time to do it.

 

[jasonjc]

The shotting will do more damage than just the mount up there. MA DEUCE ROCKS

 

[ida34]

Look under my picture folder and you will see what the cab reinforcement kit looks like. It is plate steel riveted on the interior of the rear of the cab.

 

[nickd]

I have the m66 ringmounted on my deuce. I also found a cab support plate at Aberdeen'06 installed as well. There is a substantial amount of weight on the cab and there is a noticible shake of the spring mounted cab when driving with the cab top removed.

 

[nickd]

here it is

 

[FreightTrain]

Thanks.I am gonna check every junker I can find in the scrap yards.Maybe I will get lucky and find one with the plates on it.Now how the heck do you get the soft top off with the ring mount in place?I must not be doing something right since it it a PITA to get it off with nothing in the way!

 

[hndrsonj]

Why would the govt add the reinforcement kit anyway? Would not it have been easier and stronger just to tie the ring mount to the frame? The back would be easy and the front leg should not be too hard and you probably could not tell unless you were looking for it.

 

[FreightTrain]

Well,the Reinforcement kit was designed after the fact.Was quicker and easier to attach the ring the way it is now.They found out the M66 was WAY too heavy later on along with the massive recoil and weight of a M2HB and a big arsed box of 100 rounds of ammo(Just the bullets are 10Lbs by them selves).I read the older mount before the M66 were much lighter due to the smaller weapons.

 

[nickd]

I don't have a problem removing or reinstalling the soft top. I can take it off/put it on in about 20 minutes.

 

[DDoyle]

The ring mount used prior to the M66 was the M49. The M66 was developed - and even began to be issued - during WWII.

The rings themselves are the same for many, many vehicles - only the mountings differ. The mounting kit designed for the deuce was intended to mount the M2HB using the M49 ring. The weapon and mount are intended for antiaircraft use (in fact, there are Geneva Convention issues about using a heavy machine gun against personnel). Dispersion of rounds has always been a problem.

A relatively small percentage of transport vehicles are ever fitted with weapons. As to why the mount doesn't attach to the frame - PROBABLY due to ease of access - but somewhere around here I have the Aberdeen reports on the development of these rings and mounts, I'll see what they say.

Regards,
David

 

[emmado22]

Prior to OIF, I'd say that there were more collectors deuces with ringmounts that Army deuces with ringmounts... I wont even go into the convoy light issue....

 

[Recovry4x4]

Convoy lights? I was surprised the other day. Went by the Guard Armory and there was a truck with convoy lights. A 900 cargo truck at that. Usually never see convoy lights on the guard trucks. Thats the only one I've seen there in a sea of trucks.

 

[sermis]

I just had to put my mount back on. I put the armored shield up to see how it looked.

 

[houdel]

Convoy lights? I was surprised the other day. Went by the Guard Armory and there was a truck with convoy lights. A 900 cargo truck at that. Usually never see convoy lights on the guard trucks. Thats the only one I've seen there in a sea of trucks.

Don't know about your ARNG days, but we ALWAYS had TWO trucks with convoy lights in our unit - the lead TRUCK was equipped with convoy lights and a "Convoy Follows" sign, the trail truck was equipped with convoy lights and a "Convoy Ahead" sign.

Can't tell you too much about the convoy itself - I was the company clerk for HHC, driving the company commander, so I was the "March Unit Commander", the lead vehicle in the convoy, driving a M151 MUTT.

 

[acetomatoco]

I have some ring mount legs here in VT... you come get em $125 ea... No sets... but enough to make two out of three for the Deuce 5 and 10 ton.. and the one short one for the M135 M211... you get a spacer plate for an extra $50 bux... you sign an end use continuum...just like I did with GL.... RAM

 

[Jimmy]

Belt Fed on e-bay normally keeps all the parts that you would need to install one. He is also very good to work with.

 

[emmado22]

If your gonna install a M66 on a deuce, you REALLY want to have the reinforcement kit. Without it, bad things happen over time with the weight of just the ring itself, not to mention the M2+100 rounds of ammo, and the weight of the gunner resting on the side of the ring.. It's a lot of stress on the 3 mounting points.. Then you go and fire the .50, and it really starts self destruction of the cab over time..

And yes, Beltfed34 (Austin) is a GREAT guy to deal with..