Cal. .50 M17 Ammo ChestThe M17 Ammunition Chest was adopted 9 March 1942 for .50 caliber machine gun ammunition, replacing the .50 cal. wood ammunition box and the M3 Ammunition Chest. The full nomenclature for this ammo box was Chest, Ammunition Cal. .50 M17 described by drawing number D39091. The M17 was not designed for mounting on the machine gun. Its role was to carry 100 round belts to a position where they would be fed to the gun while the box sat on the ground.
Caliber .50 M17 Ammunition Chest
Construction details of the M17 .50 cal. ammunition chest include:
The chest was painted flat olive drab, identified by a black stencil on the front panel under the latch. No other markings were provided. Approximate size is 7 7/8 inches high x 12 inches deep x 6 inches wide. The M17 was developed to replace the similar M3 Chest, as the War Department took measures to save aluminum for aircraft construction. The M17 .50 cal. ammo chest was replaced by the Cal. .50 M2 Ammunition Box after adoption of the M2 on 31 August 1942. Chest, Ammunition Cal. .50 M3
The M3 .50 caliber ammunition chest was adopted during February 1934, developed as a part of the "ground mount, pack accessories, necessary hangers and ammunition and spare parts chests for the caliber.50 machine gun for cavalry purposes." The box was made of aluminum with a rust-red padded lining and a brass hinge holding the side-opening top to the body. The M3 had a metal strip riveted to its back panel, under the hinge, folded with right angle bends to form two rectangular sockets. These sockets served two purposes: the M3 chest could be hung by the sockets using carrier hooks on vehicle walls or pack animals, or the M3 chest could be stored in groups on racks. When racks were used, the box sockets served as spacers that kept the chests spaced evenly so that the tops could be grasped easily or opened without interference from the adjacent box. The M3 .50 caliber ammunition chest is described by drawing number D37360. The chest was painted flat olive drab with markings, in either blue letters or black letters, on front under the latch. The carrying strap was leather. The M3 .50 cal. ammo chest was replaced by the Cal. .50 M2 Ammunition Box after adoption of the M2 on 31 August 1942. The M3 then became limited standard. Material on this page adapted from research provided by Thomas Chial. Recommended Book about Browning Machine GunsFind More Information on the InternetThere are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there. For good results, try entering this: ammo chest m17 or m3. Then click the Search button. Especially recommended: |