That works. 

I was just thinking about mounting a .50 cal on the TOW set up so it could be fired using the TOW sights. The Weasel is going to be very cramped inside. I might switch to .30 cal just to carry more ammo.
The ammo can holders on .50 and .30 cal guns are just basically sheet metal I believe. I might try making some out of brass. It'll be a personal challenge.

Quote from: kerick on January 22, 2025, 09:26:47 PMI was just thinking about mounting a .50 cal on the TOW set up so it could be fired using the TOW sights. The Weasel is going to be very cramped inside. I might switch to .30 cal just to carry more ammo.
The ammo can holders on .50 and .30 cal guns are just basically sheet metal I believe. I might try making some out of brass. It'll be a personal challenge.

Turning the TOW turret into a CROWS turret sounds sweet mate ...stick with the .50 ..you might carry more ammo for the .30 cal but the .50 has many more times destructive power and you could still get over 2000rds of .50cal stuffed in and around your beast 😋
The ammo cans are sealed air tight so storing some outside wouldn't hurt at all...we used to store ammo outside our vehicles all the time and in all weather's.
Storing some behind the casemate is a good spot for starters 👌

Quote from: Wardukw on January 22, 2025, 09:58:22 PM

Quote from: kerick on January 22, 2025, 09:26:47 PMI was just thinking about mounting a .50 cal on the TOW set up so it could be fired using the TOW sights. The Weasel is going to be very cramped inside. I might switch to .30 cal just to carry more ammo.
The ammo can holders on .50 and .30 cal guns are just basically sheet metal I believe. I might try making some out of brass. It'll be a personal challenge.

Turning the TOW turret into a CROWS turret sounds sweet mate ...stick with the .50 ..you might carry more ammo for the .30 cal but the .50 has many more times destructive power and you could still get over 2000rds of .50cal stuffed in and around your beast 😋
The ammo cans are sealed air tight so storing some outside wouldn't hurt at all...we used to store ammo outside our vehicles all the time and in all weather's.
Storing some behind the casemate is a good spot for starters 👌

A row of them like on the back of a Bradley turret.

Good looking projects! 
I've always liked the idea of a casemate SPG with a small MG turret on top: stops infantry creeping around the sides with RPGs.

Quote from: kerick on December 21, 2024, 08:32:49 AMI met a Bradley crew in Iraq who had painted the name "Camel TOW" on the box. Their commander made them remove it. Spoil sport!

Saw a video not long ago of a Christmas party organised by a US Army unit. Some wag had strung a cardboard model of the ground launcher tube to the ceiling with "Missile -TOW" written on it, and was try to get people to kiss under it...

Re the light tanks debate from earlier, it all comes down to what the army's recon doctrine is. The British/French/German approach was recon-by-stealth, that is to say, the recon unit (light tank, armoured car, whatever) tries to _avoid_ detection while reporting on the position of the enemy, and only uses it's weapons to cover it's escape when/if discovered. US Army doctrine always favoured a more recon-by-fire approach, i.e. go in and kick the hornet's nest to make them reveal what systems they've got and how they react, then either do a fighting withdrawal or hold for a short period until reinforced by advancing heavy units. It's not that the Brits and Germans didn't believe in recon-by-fire too, it's just that they thought it was best done with full-on tanks (cruisers/mediums in WWII, MBT afterwards). Cold War German army recon batallions had Luchs for recon-by-stealth and Leo Is for recon-by-fire.

Quote from: kerick on January 23, 2025, 08:00:03 AM

Quote from: Wardukw on January 22, 2025, 09:58:22 PM

Quote from: kerick on January 22, 2025, 09:26:47 PMI was just thinking about mounting a .50 cal on the TOW set up so it could be fired using the TOW sights. The Weasel is going to be very cramped inside. I might switch to .30 cal just to carry more ammo.
The ammo can holders on .50 and .30 cal guns are just basically sheet metal I believe. I might try making some out of brass. It'll be a personal challenge.

Turning the TOW turret into a CROWS turret sounds sweet mate ...stick with the .50 ..you might carry more ammo for the .30 cal but the .50 has many more times destructive power and you could still get over 2000rds of .50cal stuffed in and around your beast 😋
The ammo cans are sealed air tight so storing some outside wouldn't hurt at all...we used to store ammo outside our vehicles all the time and in all weather's.
Storing some behind the casemate is a good spot for starters 👌

A row of them like on the back of a Bradley turret.

Exactly matey 👍
It's a pretty simple rack system to scratch build and you'll be able to get at least 6 to 8 cans sitting back there or more  

I've seen photos of Vietnam .50s with chopped-down Jerricans for ready-use ammo cans... just a thought.
Though hooking it up to the ammo box attachment points would be an issue.

Quote from: Rick Lowe on January 23, 2025, 08:34:36 PMI've seen photos of Vietnam .50s with chopped-down Jerricans for ready-use ammo cans... just a thought.
Though hooking it up to the ammo box attachment points would be an issue.

Mate if you look closely you'll see that the jerrycan isn't mounted to the gun at all ..it's far to heavy to hang 500 rds of 50cal off the side of the gun so they were mounted to the nearest thing that it would sit on ..they'd tie em with wire or tie down straps or just drill holes and hang off something with hooks 🪝 
The dudes with time and a better imagination would weld up a frame which the can can sit in ..nice and solid 👌

Quote from: Wardukw on January 23, 2025, 11:37:52 PM

Quote from: Rick Lowe on January 23, 2025, 08:34:36 PMI've seen photos of Vietnam .50s with chopped-down Jerricans for ready-use ammo cans... just a thought.
Though hooking it up to the ammo box attachment points would be an issue.

Mate if you look closely you'll see that the jerrycan isn't mounted to the gun at all ..it's far to heavy to hang 500 rds of 50cal off the side of the gun so they were mounted to the nearest thing that it would sit on ..they'd tie em with wire or tie down straps or just drill holes and hang off something with hooks 🪝 
The dudes with time and a better imagination would weld up a frame which the can can sit in ..nice and solid 👌

That's a good idea. It seems model makers can mold a decent Jerry can but are unable to provide the proper cap so I have a bunch of Jerry cans that would look better with the top cut off.

Quote from: kerick on January 24, 2025, 08:43:31 AM

Quote from: Wardukw on January 23, 2025, 11:37:52 PM

Quote from: Rick Lowe on January 23, 2025, 08:34:36 PMI've seen photos of Vietnam .50s with chopped-down Jerricans for ready-use ammo cans... just a thought.
Though hooking it up to the ammo box attachment points would be an issue.

Mate if you look closely you'll see that the jerrycan isn't mounted to the gun at all ..it's far to heavy to hang 500 rds of 50cal off the side of the gun so they were mounted to the nearest thing that it would sit on ..they'd tie em with wire or tie down straps or just drill holes and hang off something with hooks 🪝 
The dudes with time and a better imagination would weld up a frame which the can can sit in ..nice and solid 👌

That's a good idea. It seems model makers can mold a decent Jerry can but are unable to provide the proper cap so I have a bunch of Jerry cans that would look better with the top cut off.

Ken the Jerry can /ammo can is a item used when you are in combat and in combat every day...it's just used to do as mentioned above..carry alot of ammo so you don't need to reload at the most inappropriate moment 😉
They give zero weather and dirt protection so dirt ammo is common and these won't work anyway for a CROWS/TOW turret ..to damn big .if ya look at the CROWS turret you'll see a ammo box of to the side or underneath depending on the version and those hold around 500rds again ..depending on the version.
I'd just stick with the 50cal ammo cans..they'll take up less room for one thing and be much easier to stack and store 

I'd use the ammo cans for storage on the vehicle. Maybe one cut off can on top just to give people something to ask questions about.

Quote from: kerick on January 24, 2025, 09:57:22 AMI'd use the ammo cans for storage on the vehicle. Maybe one cut off can on top just to give people something to ask questions about.

I like it 
Academy's 35th M60 MBTs in Israeli service always came with the converted jerry cans in the kits cause the Israelis mounted  em beside their 50cals which were mounted above the main guns .
When ya think that a standard 50cal ammo can holds 100rds ..a jerry can will hold 700 plus ..I have seen em stacked to over flowing in Vietnam.

Quote from: Wardukw on January 24, 2025, 10:24:16 AM

Quote from: kerick on January 24, 2025, 09:57:22 AMI'd use the ammo cans for storage on the vehicle. Maybe one cut off can on top just to give people something to ask questions about.

I like it 
Academy's 35th M60 MBTs in Israeli service always came with the converted jerry cans in the kits cause the Israelis mounted  em beside their 50cals which were mounted above the main guns .
When ya think that a standard 50cal ammo can holds 100rds ..a jerry can will hold 700 plus ..I have seen em stacked to over flowing in Vietnam.

I might have that kit in the stash. I'll have to check on that.

Quote from: kerick on January 24, 2025, 02:19:08 PM

Quote from: Wardukw on January 24, 2025, 10:24:16 AM

Quote from: kerick on January 24, 2025, 09:57:22 AMI'd use the ammo cans for storage on the vehicle. Maybe one cut off can on top just to give people something to ask questions about.

I like it 
Academy's 35th M60 MBTs in Israeli service always came with the converted jerry cans in the kits cause the Israelis mounted  em beside their 50cals which were mounted above the main guns .
When ya think that a standard 50cal ammo can holds 100rds ..a jerry can will hold 700 plus ..I have seen em stacked to over flowing in Vietnam.

I might have that kit in the stash. I'll have to check on that.

Mate if ya do then bingo 😄
If not ..still pretty easy to make 👌

Quote from: Wardukw on January 24, 2025, 08:24:43 PMIf not ..still pretty easy to make 👌

Yeah - cut the top off one, put in a single layer of ammo leading to the feed and bingo.
Paint the inside of the can black and you don't have to worry about a second layer, which saves the rest for something else.