Sopwith Snipe guns

[jknaus]

I've done some searches and can not find the info I am looking for. Does anyone know which Gaspatch Vickers Guns would be appropriate for the WNW Sopwith Snipe Early? I saw Lance was going to use the Vickers British Hyland Type B Standard & Reversed Ammo Feed. I have a Vickers Colt Built. Should I get the other one? Thanks in advance for any help.
James

[lcarroll]

James,
    If you take a look at how the "feed" chutes from the magazine are routed to the guns (from between the 2 guns at the top center of the mag) you'll see why a left and then right feed gun is required, normally the Vickers fed from the right side as on a Triplane or Camel I believe. I'd order the Hyland Type B Standard and Reversed Feed set if you are replacing the Kit ones.
Cheers,
Lance

[jknaus]

Thanks Lance. Will do.
James

[WarrenD]

Not that it really matters that much, and while my experience with MG's in real life is limited, I believe Vickers, Spandaus, etc. can be set up to feed from either side. It's a matter of flipping the feed pawl over, or some-such.

HTH, FWIW, YMMV,

Warren

[jknaus]

Thanks Warrren. I'm not sure if there is some detail difference on the receivers that makes it better to get the proper guns. I know I will have to add the timing input to the top of the reciever though when I do install them.
James

[Dal Gavan]

G'day, Warren.

Not that it really matters that much, and while my experience with MG's in real life is limited, I believe Vickers, Spandaus, etc. can be set up to feed from either side. It's a matter of flipping the feed pawl over, or some-such.

HTH, FWIW, YMMV,

Warren

There's quite a bit more to it than that, mate, and for those weapons where the ejector is fixed to the receiver group rather than the bolt, it can't be done.  As well as the feed pawls at a minimum you have to replace and head-space the bolt (it would have a repositioned extractor, and possibly ejector, to remove and eject the spent cartridges on the correct side) and may (depending on the weapon) need a different belt.  I don't remember any talk of changing the feed side when I did some famil on the Vickers (yes, we still used them for training in the early 1980's- a 1RAR digger was wounded in the chest during a live fire EX in 1981), however that may just be my memory not working.  It's more likely the guns were assembled as RHS or LHS feeds at the factory or a a base maintenance depot, rather than having the squadron armourers having to carry the extra spares and tools to do the changes at unit level.

Why can I remember useless stuff like that, but not where I parked my car?

Dal.

[WarrenD]

Sorry, but I did qualify my statement.

Warren

[Dal Gavan]

G'day, Warren.

My apologies if I seemed to be criticising your post.  I spent the odd year or two studying weapons, and perhaps my interest in the way they work may have across wrongly as criticism in my post.  I didn't mean to do that, just wanted to expand that part of the discussion.  Perhaps unit armourers did carry the spares and tools to convert the MG's, someone may be able to confirm either way. 

Cheers.

Dal.