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Cover for Vickers Water Jacket


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Canvas jacket cover was for a couple purposes: to provide a cool outer surface of the hot jacket, which could get very hot with long strings of full auto fire, to eliminate the mirage and shimmer of air distortion from heat rising from the jacket in front of the front sight;

as an insulator from the hot jacket when the gun has been firing long strings of auto fire and then must be carried to a new position.

The designers, manufactuers and military command in the Vicker's supply chain to the front were very considerate of their emmagees!!

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The British and Canadian ones were cotton waste felt while the later Australian ones were lined with asbestos......

If you have an Auzzie one be careful when installing it as when you fold it around the jacket you will create a cloud of asbestos dust.

Just a heads up........

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Thanks for your inputs. I can't help wondering how effective such a cover would actually be in the roles you describe. But I guess I need to get one, regardless :)

 

1942 Lithgow

 

Balder

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/Balder_/Machineguns/vickers-1.jpg

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Firing long strings through a WC MG of any type, the heat waves off the jacket are easy to see once the water reaches boiling temp. Try carrying even your cold Vickers by holding only the receiver for half a mile over rugged territory without handling or having it touch you, without the insulated jacket or holding the booster and imagine what it would be like with a jacket that just had boiling water in it along with a very hot booster. Of course this can be done, but having an insulator over that hot jacket makes life so much more pleasant carrying it under such circumstances.

Better yet, run 1000 rounds or more continuously through your Vickers with a full jacket of water until brought to a boil and give it a try without a cover…… 4:^)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, the plain canvas one prevents heat wave distortion interfering with sight picture and does provide some isulation. It also acts as camouflage and eliminates any possible glare or reflection from the jacket.

Vickers accessories have a history of being quite well thought out and developed as response to actual needs, so the covers are not superfluous.

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