Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
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signsup
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by signsup » Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:18 pm

I'm still confused.

How can a cover be for the universal mount if it has no holes for the mount itself to be mounted to the windshield. Stapled or not to the mount. I thought the mount canvas cover was open at the bottom, stapled to the rack along both sides and the rack itself was the bottom protection for the gun. That the rifle mount canvas cover was not a "bag" per se, but zippered at the top and completely opn along the bottom.

Now it appears that the mount cover is a bag with no way of installing it to the munt if the mount is already installed on the windshield?

I'm confused.
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by Chance » Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:53 am

Robert precisely why I chimed in on this thread! I purchased this because it was in great condition and I wanted a rifle rack for the G503. Once I got it in my hands is when I realized I'd have to cut slits in the canvas in order to mount it. I couldn't do that.

As in Chuck's photo it has the same metal strip stapled through the canvas to the back side of the rifle rack. Fully zippered as well and super long.

I had thought perhaps that maybe these didn't come from the [rifle rack] factory with holes in the canvas. Thinking perhaps that it was left up to the installer to cut holes in the canvas depending upon what vehicle it would be installed in. Otherwise it would have multiple open holes in the canvas, some of which may not be used depending upon the vehicle it was ultimately installed on.
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by 4X4M38 » Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:30 am

Andy,
Dave P at Weebee Webbing has the kits to replace the webbing on those rifle racks.

Take care,
Brian

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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by gdamiano » Wed Sep 14, 2016 5:49 am

Keeping the thread on rifle racks active, I have a question relevant to a relic I found at a flea market.

My jeep was, when I bought it, fitted with the rack in the pictures below, that was described to me as being a French produced one (square headed rivets, rounded profile of the truncated cone relief stamped on the butt, and I actually found metrical threaded screws fastening the swivelling lever pivot plate and M8 bolts fixing the rack to the windshield).
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1943 - Ford GPW # 140720

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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by gdamiano » Wed Sep 14, 2016 6:00 am

So now these are some pictures of the relic I found :
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P1100127 - Copy.JPG
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P1100131 - Copy.JPG
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It might actually be an original rack (and for sure the only mounting carriage bolt that was there was an american threaded one), but I had only seen up to now either square or round rivets with their heads outside the rack; so I was quite surprised by the fact that, though the rivets on the side and on the butt are actually round headed, the ones on the upper face were mounted "upside down" that is with the round head inside the rack.

I attach here for comparison some pictures of the butt part taken side by side with the previous (French ?) rack I had on my GPW.
P1100132 - Copy.JPG
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P1100139 - Copy.JPG
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P1100141 - Copy.JPG
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Is there anybody who can tell me :

- if the first rack, the one I have got with the jeep, is actually a French one ?

- if the weird rivet positioning is or is not a problem at all, and so if the second rack is or is not an original one ?
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Sep 14, 2016 6:14 am

NOS French I have seen had French Manufacturers name and information stamped on the surface of one side in the butt area.
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by gdamiano » Fri Sep 16, 2016 2:19 am

Any ideas about the "relic", that is the one with the 8 rivets mounted upside down ???
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Sep 16, 2016 4:01 am

There is information that US Army issue rifle holders were manufactured by Budd.
Have never seen US ARMY Issue Rifle Holder with any manufacturers ID marks or numbers. Latest ones I have witnessed were factory installed on new 60's Caterpillar No.12 Graders.
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by onaway » Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:34 pm

Here is a photo of the lettering and number on my rifle rack. It looks similar to the other ones previously posted.
rifle case 02.jpg
rifle case 02.jpg (25.65 KiB) Viewed 1233 times
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by gdamiano » Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:28 am

Still no one able to tell if the rivets could have been mounted inside out as per the pictures I posted ????
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by gdamiano » Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:34 am

I mean these - I post the details again
Detail - front.JPG
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Detail - rear.JPG
Detail - rear.JPG (60.81 KiB) Viewed 1177 times
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by gdamiano » Sat Oct 15, 2016 10:34 pm

up
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by laurent » Sun Dec 18, 2016 12:07 pm

little question, the canvas cover was used during WWII ? nevers seen wartime pics , more a post war stuff ?

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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Dec 18, 2016 1:25 pm

There are WWII photos of GPW factory production line showing late GPW with rifle holder with canvas cover. Some of you may encounter rife holders without covers, but having the staple holes on the long flat side where a previous cover was installed. Also, do not take for granted that your surplus rifle holder was previously installed on a Jeep. The rifle holder was an accessory on all 4X4 and 5X6 combat vehicles plus they were installed on Engineers construction equipment. Some post war Korean Era M-Series vehicles had provision for the rifle holder. The M-38 is one example. 1960's GI issue Caterpillar Model 12 Graders were factory equipped with the holder. Late CCKW Open Cab trucks had two rifle holders with canvas.
The few NOS French Army Surplus rifle holders I have witnessed with the French printing are a tighter fit on the M-1 Garand than the US made version.
Those rivets with the holes in your photos may be a repair, they look similar to "pop rivets" that we use to repair sheet metal.
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Re: Universal Rifle Rack Questions.

Post by Greendot319 » Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:23 am

Hi Guys,
Just got one of these universal rifle covers for my jeep. The one I have has been fitted to a jeep before as there are ghost marks where it has sat on the rack and been held to the windshield mounts. There is no doubt that the cover is designed to fit the universal rifle rack as the leather wear strips cover the important bits on the rack exactly.
When it comes to mounting the cover on the rack, which seems to be the big question here, the cover has just had two holes pushed through it for the bolts to go through, whoever lined up the holes did a very good job as the cover lines up perfectly on the rack. I suppose this is what the GI's had to do when they received or went to mount a rack on the jeep, just poke some holes through the canvas?
Matt
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