[notso]

Had a customer bring a partial BSA MKII* for me to work on for him.

Its in rough shape, but I am working on getting the parts apart and cleaned up. Lots of rust unfortunately.

It is missing the back plate. Does anyone know how different the ANM2 back plate is from the brit guns? I know the bolts and lockframes are completely different, but I cant seem to find a MKII back plate.

Any idea how many of these things there are around?

Thanks!

 

[Karl_T]

Dolf has some pretty good pics in his book.

I have the aircraft brit ANM2. the backplate just has a buffer. I've not had it apart but pretty sure its just a stack of fibre disks like found in a 1919. It is connected to the sides plates completely different. here's a pic I have from a manual.

 

[barrelxchange]

About 15 years ago there was a bunch of the Brit ANM2's brought into the country, they were relatively cheap a $100 or 2 for a kit.
The early ones had intact left plates, later they torched both plates.
Not sure how many came in or who brought them in. Possibly Inter Ordnance.

The Brit kits are open bolt and the US are closed bolt. the Box was pretty much the same except for the feedway cuts on the trunion.
Pretty sure the back plates will interchange

 

[ajmdreammg42]

There was a vender at the knob creek that had a anm2 kit for sale but it was incomplete and pretty rough. It had a back plate in it. The kit as a whole is pretty rough and he still wanted 3k for it. I took some pics, here is one with the backplate in it. I have more pics and his contact info if you are interested. Maybe he will sell the back plate itself. I doubt he sold the kit

 

[toolmanm203]

IIRC it is the same back plate as the US guns

 

[usmc1988]

There was a vender at the knob creek that had a anm2 kit for sale but it was incomplete and pretty rough. It had a back plate in it. The kit as a whole is pretty rough and he still wanted 3k for it. I took some pics, here is one with the backplate in it. I have more pics and his contact info if you are interested. Maybe he will sell the back plate itself. I doubt he sold the kit

View attachment 84345

That is a US back plate in the photo, the British back plates don't have the tabs for spade grips.

 

[toolmanm203]

They made US back plates with and without those tabs as well just an FYI

 

[MG08]

Had a customer bring a partial BSA MKII* for me to work on for him.

Its in rough shape, but I am working on getting the parts apart and cleaned up. Lots of rust unfortunately.

It is missing the back plate. Does anyone know how different the ANM2 back plate is from the brit guns? I know the bolts and lockframes are completely different, but I cant seem to find a MKII back plate.

Any idea how many of these things there are around?

Thanks!

Do you know what configuration you are trying to build ? The guns were actuated ( triggered) much differently than the US guns. When these kits first came in there were triggers and mounting parts available but they really seem to have dried up. the British guns did not have integral spade grips, they used a "fixed gun" backplate, and were typically mounted in power turrets in 2 and 4 gun sets. there is a cradle similar to the M2 basic gun cradle, but it has it's own grips and used a different trigger actuator. The guns were typically solenoid fired, and the US parts will not work -

No idea on how many semi auto guns have been made - Karl can probably better guess. I know of probably 10 or so original guns and even one twin mount ( at 1200 rds per in, two guns is a real handful if not seriously bolted down) These are a hoot to shoot, but the thin barrels over heat VERY quickly and you can ruin one in short order.
Photo of gun - see trigger linkage for single gun

Close up of linkage wiht single gun grip

Single gun cradle

 

[barrelxchange]

I sold a complete Brit ANM2 kit with some spare parts in the spring for $1500 at KCR.

 

[Karl_T]

OK, we got pics of both Brit and USGI ANM2 backplates. Now look at the side in back, the brit is way wider here. that's what I meant by different. it would be a fairly simple part to make if you started with a 1919 backplate and then welded in a block of steel.

 

[MG08]

OK, we got pics of both Brit and USGI ANM2 backplates. Now look at the side in back, the brit is way wider here. that's what I meant by different. it would be a fairly simple part to make if you started with a 1919 backplate and then welded in a block of steel.

Note that this is said in fun - if you cut weld and grind enough you can turn a MKII parts kit into a 50 cal M2 as well...... the 106 recoiless conversion is harder because of the sights.....:rofl:


Sorry - those of us challenged to weld cut and grind see things differently...

 

[Karl_T]

...
Sorry - those of us challenged to weld cut and grind see things differently...

Yep, good point. I should have said fairly simple machining job.

 

[Apexgunparts]

APEX has a few BSA Browning MKII .303 parts that are pending the price and being listed.
The back plate isn't one of those parts.
I may have an extra in my stash of spares at home.
I saw another at Knob Creek, it may be at SAR west in December.
I also saw some .303 links at this last Knob Creek.

Richard

One type of cradle for the .303 guns..

 

[notso]

APEX has a few BSA Browning MKII .303 parts that are pending the price and being listed.
The back plate isn't one of those parts.
I may have an extra in my stash of spares at home.
I saw another at Knob Creek, it may be at SAR west in December.
I also saw some .303 links at this last Knob Creek.

Richard

One type of cradle for the .303 guns..

View attachment 84445

Thanks for that pic, that really helps. I may be able to make something like that for this one.


So a little more info on the gun.

I was contacted from a local FFL that I do work with about this and that the owner might contact me. (Im an 07/02 and have a M1919 and a FN30 that I am working on building, so they figured would be the guy to talk to)

This gun is a amnesty registered full auto, owned by the guy who registered it in 68. It has sat next to his fireplace for the last 50 years. It was incomplete then and he never bothered to finish it out.

As you can imagine, it is a mess. I am working on determining the condition of the thing now. It is missing the backplate and the bolt. The barrel has a case stuck in it where it had a case head separation before this guy bought it in 68. The top cover has a slight bend in it that points to a case head separation as well. Not so bad that it does not close though.

So I am working on the thing for him and looking for info as I go.

I really appreciate the info and feedback here! Yall have been a great help. As I get into it Ill see about getting some pics of the components and how the differ from the 1919 parts that I am used to.

 

[notso]

Do you know what configuration you are trying to build ? The guns were actuated ( triggered) much differently than the US guns. When these kits first came in there were triggers and mounting parts available but they really seem to have dried up. the British guns did not have integral spade grips, they used a "fixed gun" backplate, and were typically mounted in power turrets in 2 and 4 gun sets. there is a cradle similar to the M2 basic gun cradle, but it has it's own grips and used a different trigger actuator. The guns were typically solenoid fired, and the US parts will not work -

No idea on how many semi auto guns have been made - Karl can probably better guess. I know of probably 10 or so original guns and even one twin mount ( at 1200 rds per in, two guns is a real handful if not seriously bolted down) These are a hoot to shoot, but the thin barrels over heat VERY quickly and you can ruin one in short order.
Photo of gun - see trigger linkage for single gun
View attachment 84425

Close up of linkage wiht single gun grip
View attachment 84427

Single gun cradle
View attachment 84429

Thank you for those pictures! That clears up a lot of the questions I had about how they were triggered in a ground mount or flex mount.

 

[Apexgunparts]

Thanks for that pic, that really helps. I may be able to make something like that for this one.


So a little more info on the gun.

I was contacted from a local FFL that I do work with about this and that the owner might contact me. (Im an 07/02 and have a M1919 and a FN30 that I am working on building, so they figured would be the guy to talk to)

This gun is a amnesty registered full auto, owned by the guy who registered it in 68. It has sat next to his fireplace for the last 50 years. It was incomplete then and he never bothered to finish it out.

As you can imagine, it is a mess. I am working on determining the condition of the thing now. It is missing the backplate and the bolt. The barrel has a case stuck in it where it had a case head separation before this guy bought it in 68. The top cover has a slight bend in it that points to a case head separation as well. Not so bad that it does not close though.

So I am working on the thing for him and looking for info as I go.

I really appreciate the info and feedback here! Yall have been a great help. As I get into it Ill see about getting some pics of the components and how the differ from the 1919 parts that I am used to.

I have to wonder if the gun was a de-wat at some point.
Most of the live .303 Brownings I have seen in the USA came into the country that way.
APEX has a stripped bolt, but the barrel already sold.
I think US Armament had a complete bolt at KCR.

That mount is fairly simple, I think it was a British wartime expedient.
They had plenty of .303 Brownings from shot down aircraft and need belt feds for airfield / costal protection.

let me look thru my reference material and see if there is anything helpful I can post here.

Richard

 

[WWIwatcher]

I may have a spare back plate for this at home. I’ll check. Give me an hour or two.

 

[WWIwatcher]

...possibly a bolt and top cover too. Finding parts has been extremely difficult over the past 6 or 7 years and I haven’t received much help anywhere during that time, so I have < 50% of a full gun (parts kits are always mentioned after they have been sold). It’s been just the dregs the last couple years. I don’t expect to ever be able to finish it so if I have the parts I’ll probably be willing to part with them.

 

[WWIwatcher]

Here are the parts I have. I beleive I may have another back plate as well.

 

[WWIwatcher]

Well, I found the parts but I do not yet have permission to post the photos nor to receive pm’s. Wish I could help.