This is the Revell Germany boxing of the Italeri 1/35 M113 which I built in the guise of Army Republic of Vietnam as would have appeared during the battle of Ap Bac on January 2, 1963 while assigned to 4th Mechanized Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The kit was mostly built OOB, although I did replace the kit’s .50 with a better one from the Academy US Machine Gun set, as well as add a tripod mounted .30 cal. from that set, and several other WWII/Korean War vintage weapons inside the track (M1 Garands, M2 Carbine BAR, M18 57mm Recoilless Rifle). I also added mesh screens where appropriate to the engine deck, stowage to the interior and more detail in the drivers compartment, as well as replacing the pioneer tools and jerry cans with better ones from my spares bin.
Oh no–bonus points for the straps. it’s just that the kick on the M1919 is best arrested with mass, like the mass of a sandbag. The bags could be heavily bent around the leg ends.
Oh I am not arguing the point. The photos I found of ARVN 113s didn’t show anything there, keeping the tripod in place, but they were not very clear. And I know there had to be something to serve the purpose. So I figured cargo tie down straps would be a good idea. Sandbags are great for emplacing crew served automatic weapons and keeping them in place. I never played with a M1919 myself, but I became quite intimate with its’ replacement, the M60.
I hear ya loud and clear. We usually just put our 60s on the bipod on the cargo hatch, no tripod at all. Tripods were tucked away inside the tracks with the spare barrel.
But here is a photo of another ARVN track later in the war with the tripod strapped down to the top deck (and a recoilless on the opposite side)
on the other photos I have found of top deck mounted M1919s, there was no obvious sandbags, or other such stuff around the tripods, so thats why I went with cargo straps on my build
Stik I really like how you weathered it and the dry/wet mud effect was tastefully done. Lot of very nice parts to this and I like that the hatches are open. Oh and the MG is perfectly done, very nice build Carlos, one to be proud of. Terry
LOL! Thanks TB! I’m sure my other half would say that I am playing in the mud when I do the weathering But all it is, is a mixture of sifted dirt and Future… pretty much a mud.
![http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t671/stikpusherII/ARVN%20M113/100_1917_zpsd7iorgmr.jpg[/image]](http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t671/stikpusherII/ARVN%20M113/100_1917_zpsd7iorgmr.jpg%5B/image%5D){kind=link}