Mandalore
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- Lubbock, Texas
Thats AWESOME man!!
Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!
Are you studying to be a watchmaker?? I think there's a place in PA, forgot the name... I actually collect watches, and you should have no trouble getting a job (assuming that's the field you are going into). It's impossible to find anyone good these days (and the factory overhauls are getting insane).DD, just attending school in PA (2 year Horology Program, I graduate Aug 2015) and unfortunately my collection remains in WI with the exception of 1 53-M37 that I brought with me to ease my anxiety of not having my vehicles with me. The Maxson was 90% restored when I left for PA in May 2013, and all I had left was the 2 power distribution boxes and the slip ring. Time compresses and I have not attended any programs to date, but hope to get to the Red Ball show this spring.
These links appear to be dead now,but from the one picture that is posted here, it looks like a nice half-track, Sir. Quite an adventure you had in recovering it too, it sounds like.I hope you're still able to drive it now and then.My ride ... Recovered from East African Desert APR 07..
Preservation Pics:
http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff194/mkoloc/?action=view¤t=HT4thofJuly.flv
http://mkolocsM16A2HT.MyPicGallery.com
If you dig, you can still find Tabular Firing Tables (TFT) for 50 BMG for indirect fire, similar to mortars and howitzers, which is how they determined aiming. I can't imagine they'd be super effective on small groups of soldiers, but if you're a young Vietnamese insurgent with no experience, you might need to change the underwear you don't wear.It's amazing that the machine hadn't been used for target practice.
I see that it was in Vietnam for a while. While serving as a surveyor with the 1/11th Field Artillery, I set up the firing position for a deuce mounted quad 50 at FSB Moore. They fired it on map coor’ds, just like their big brothers, the 105s and 155s. They would reach out over 5 mi. when fired on high trajectory. The rounds, no tracers, wound come in on the target at a steep angle and the VC only heard “thump, thump” as they impacted; they were too far away to hear the muzzle reports. The VC called them "Whispering Death". They were also very effective when used as direct fire against dug in positions.
See http://www.mystae.com/reflections/vietnam/duster.html
I really commend you for going to the trouble of restoring it. I know that there are magazines that would like to do articles on your adventures through the sand of Africa and the red tape of the governments involved.
What a project!! Thanks for sharing it with us and I will watch for more.