M74
I'm looking for any information that I can find on an M74 machine gun used in Vietnam circa 1968. I have a friend who's father used this during the Vietnam war. He is interested in any information he can gather on this as well as finding out if he can purchase one, if it is legal to purchase one and if so where he would purchase one. Can anyone help?????
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Hi and welcome....[:)]
I found this info I hope it helps....
The M74C turret was fitted to a number of Australian M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carriers in South Vietnam for a short period between late 1966 and late 1968. The turret was acquired to provide a weapon station for the vehicle crew commander with 360 degree protection. Firepower was provided by two L3A3 .30 calibre electrically fired machine guns. Turret traverse and weapon elevation was manual.
Twenty turrets were purchased, of which eighteen were sent to South Vietnam and two kept in Australia. In South Vietnam, M74C turrets were fitted to Alpha and Bravo callsigns within APC sections, while the remaining vehicles within the Squadron retained their pintle mounted M2 HB machine gun. For further information on the distribution of M74C turrets within the squadron, see A Squadron Organisation Chart - January 1967. The M74C turret was superceded in South Vietnam with the arrival of vehicles fitted with the T-50 turret in the second half of 1968, though the lack of spare parts mean't that a number of turrets had previously been removed and replaced with the original commanders cupola prior to this.
Two M74C are currently held by museums in Australia. A partially restored example is on display at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Museum at Puckapunyal. An un-restored turret is in the collection of the Melbourne Tank Museum, Narre Warren
DO RIGHT GUNSMITH, INC.0 -
Found a M73 Machine Gun in my references. Maybe thats the critter your friends father used in Nam?
It's quite obscure, don't guess it worked out that well.
G. E. made it, supposedly it was only used in tanks. Apparently only used as a co-ax or cupola gun as all maintenance including barrel changes could be done from inside the tank.
It was designed by a Australian by the name of Robinson.
It's doubtful if theirs any "papered" M73's available for legal sale?0 -
There is something about this one that is not quite right. I doubt the existance of any US series production machinegun with the designation M74 (although I'd really enjoy learning about a new and previously unknown US machinegun). The M74 is not to be found anywhere in "The Machinegun", by Col. George Chinn and I own a complete set of the full 5 volumes. The M73 was designed specifically as a coaxially mounted machinegun for the M60 main battle tank and had no infantry application what so ever. The first series M73's were produced at the Springfield Armory. G.E. produced over 3000 of the updated M73E1 models and the Rock Island Arsenal chipped in a few hundred more. The M73 was not vrey well liked by the troops and had a reputation as a poor performer and for having an overly complex and delicate design. Janie, was your friend's dad in a tank in Viet Nam? We really need more information on the type of firearm involved here- belt feed, shoulder fired, mounted on a tri-pod? Are you SURE M74 is the correct designation? Help us.
Mark T. Christian0 -
and my guess is...........M60. 0 -
As i e-mailed you individually
swears his dad said it was an M74. He used in special forces 'nam 1968. Friend says it looked like an M16 but was more "plastic" looking. Was a 223 caliber semiautomatic.0 -
I received your e-mail janiee and responded. Since the fellow was in special forces and the weapon is question sort of looked like an M16 (semi or full automatic), I am guessing now that it was one of the old Colt XM177 submachineguns. The last time I saw a amnesty registered XM177E2 offered up for sale it was $10,000 and that was a few years back. Keep in mind that the flash hidder/noise suppressor on the XM177 seies is considered a silencer and also needs to be registered. Right now we are no where near the M74 designation for our service rifles and we were clearly no where near the number M74 back in the Viet Nam days. Any of our vets ever fired US Rifle M74, caliber 5.56mm, in Viet Nam?
Mark T. Christian0 -
No. May wish to check out: www.mst2-vietnam.info 0 -
Click on: Stoner's Ordance Notes
For the above site.0
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