question Weird Armoured boxes, ID anyone?

[robin craig]

Can anyone tell me what these are from? I have a pair.

 

R

[Adrian Barrell]

Grenades would be my guess.

[robin craig]

Dear Adrian,

 

I had hoped you would chime in, but regretably without a definitive answer.

 

I had wondered if it might be something of an odd ball from a Ferret but the loops on the back dont align with anything I know of and there is no FV number stamped in.

 

They are heavy and are made using a high nickel rod to join them and made so consistently that they dont look like one offs.

 

The welding is crude stick (arc) welding like WW2 armour I have seen in comparison to the more finished look of later AFVs.

 

R

[fesm_ndt]

you got any background on them at all?

 

to me seems weird as if for grenades I doubt they would hold the 'bang' with the poor welded corners and the fairly weak clip. Typically grenades are stored in a bigger shipment container

 

fairly heavy duty though, maybe for external storage ie somewhat bullet proof but if it did go bang not so problematic.

 

Interesting boxes though

[steveo578]

Some measurements might help:-D

[Bob Grundy]

Could they be the armoured box that contains the smoke grenades on the outside

of the turret of an Abbot ?

[robin craig]

That idea Bob is highly likely considering their provenance.

 

Will add some dimensions in a day or so.

 

R

[robin craig]

Well now,

 

After Bob's suggestion I spent some time looking around and have drawn the conclusion that these two are most certainly not like any Abbot box. The Abbot box stands off from the hull on four angle clips and has a different latch clasp mechanism.

 

So, its still wide open

 

R

[Philliphastings]

Hello guys, sorry to butt in but I seem to recall that one was fitted in the turret of my Australian Mk5/1 Centurion MBT, near the turret side port from memory.?

 

The tank has long ago been moved on so I can't confirm it.

 

Cheers

 

Phill

[Adrian Barrell]

Dear Adrian,

 

I had hoped you would chime in, but regretably without a definitive answer.

 

R

 

Robin, my answers are seldom definative!

 

Perhaps I should elaborate on my theory. I think the boxes are armoured to protect their contents, not contain an explosion. They look similar to British grenade boxes from inside AFV's so I suspect they are to hold something delicate or explosive either on the outside of any vehicle or the inside of a non-armoured vehicle.

 

Without an indication of size it's hard to be sure about the contents, perhaps you could help with some sizes or try a grenade for size?

[robin craig]

Well,

 

Lacking a real grenade, I will do some measuring.

 

I would hate to see them get junked and was hoping someone with a keen eye would recognise them.

 

R