Tomcat's AFV Club 1/35 Meat Chopper
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 2:30 pm
As mentioned in the chat & guidelines thread I originally didn't think I had anything that qualified for this group build but digging in the stash revealed AFV Club's 1/35 M-16 with 2 Korean War decal schemes, so this will be my entry.
It looks like there might be some small fiddly stuff involved here and I think I'm going to have to plan the build/paint stages especially for the chassis & engine.
Intro
Here's a quick intro based on info from Tanks Encyclopeadia with some of my own photos taken at Bovington over the years
Multiple Gun Motor Carriage – M16 3,505 Built
The M16 MGMC (multiple gun motor carriage) was an American anti-aircraft half-track developed during World War II to counter the perceived increasing threat of enemy aircraft. The vehicle was based on an existing half-track chassis, with the M16 MGMC built on the M3 Half-Track’s chassis. The primary armament of these vehicles was the M45 Quadmount, equipped with four .50 caliber M2 machine guns, which earned the M16 MGMC the nickname ‘meat-chopper’ for its devastating effectiveness against ground targets. The M16 MGMC and M17 MGMC were produced in large numbers and saw extensive use in both World War II and the Korean War. They were valued for their versatility, providing anti-aircraft support and direct fire against infantry and light vehicles. The M16 MGMC, in particular, became a key asset in the European theater, especially during the later stages of the war, when the Luftwaffe’s presence had diminished, and the vehicle was repurposed for ground support roles.
In May 1943, the White Motor Company’s contract was modified to replace the M13, which was in production at the time, with the M16 MGMC, continuing to use the M3 Half-Track as a base. Production began in May 1943 under contracts W-303-ORD-1860 (production order T-4031), W-303-019-ORD-4672 (production order T6648), and W-303-019-ORD-5334 (production order T-7944).
The White Motor Company was contracted to convert 586 unissued M13 MGMCs into M16 MGMCs. This was performed in August 1943 as a supplement to contract W-303-ORD-1860. In addition, 109 T10E1s were converted to M16 MGMCs under contract W-303-019-ORD-2897 (production order T-16577) in November 1944, after which they retained their registration and serial numbers. Diebold, Inc. (Ohio) converted the final group of 60 M16 MGMCs from M13 MGMCs in December 1944 under contract W-33-019-ORD-2982. The final number that was contracted was for 3,505 M16 MGMCs.
In November 1943, the Headquarters of the Armed Service Forces requested a platform be added to the mount to allow two cannoneers to stand behind it without having to move; this was designated the M16D. On 7 September 1944, the Ordnance Committee recommended that all M45 mounts on M16 MGMCs be modified using platforms as on the M16D.
Multiple Gun Motor Carriage – M16 3,505 Built
The M16 MGMC (multiple gun motor carriage) was an American anti-aircraft half-track developed during World War II to counter the perceived increasing threat of enemy aircraft. The vehicle was based on an existing half-track chassis, with the M16 MGMC built on the M3 Half-Track’s chassis. The primary armament of these vehicles was the M45 Quadmount, equipped with four .50 caliber M2 machine guns, which earned the M16 MGMC the nickname ‘meat-chopper’ for its devastating effectiveness against ground targets. The M16 MGMC and M17 MGMC were produced in large numbers and saw extensive use in both World War II and the Korean War. They were valued for their versatility, providing anti-aircraft support and direct fire against infantry and light vehicles. The M16 MGMC, in particular, became a key asset in the European theater, especially during the later stages of the war, when the Luftwaffe’s presence had diminished, and the vehicle was repurposed for ground support roles.
In May 1943, the White Motor Company’s contract was modified to replace the M13, which was in production at the time, with the M16 MGMC, continuing to use the M3 Half-Track as a base. Production began in May 1943 under contracts W-303-ORD-1860 (production order T-4031), W-303-019-ORD-4672 (production order T6648), and W-303-019-ORD-5334 (production order T-7944).
The White Motor Company was contracted to convert 586 unissued M13 MGMCs into M16 MGMCs. This was performed in August 1943 as a supplement to contract W-303-ORD-1860. In addition, 109 T10E1s were converted to M16 MGMCs under contract W-303-019-ORD-2897 (production order T-16577) in November 1944, after which they retained their registration and serial numbers. Diebold, Inc. (Ohio) converted the final group of 60 M16 MGMCs from M13 MGMCs in December 1944 under contract W-33-019-ORD-2982. The final number that was contracted was for 3,505 M16 MGMCs.
In November 1943, the Headquarters of the Armed Service Forces requested a platform be added to the mount to allow two cannoneers to stand behind it without having to move; this was designated the M16D. On 7 September 1944, the Ordnance Committee recommended that all M45 mounts on M16 MGMCs be modified using platforms as on the M16D.
Kit
I've had this kit in the stash for a while alongside the old Tamiya equivalent
Inside the box
An instruction booklet with some shiny pages and some matte pages
And a load of sprue frames
There's an amount of very fine flash and a lot of unsympathetic sprue gates & ejector stubs that'll need a lot of care on the plethora of small parts.
There are also some clear parts, and a bag of assorted bits such as PE, string, springs etc that'll be revealed as I get to them in the build
The four decal options
And finally a panel on the box side displaying the all important note that the "Ammunition box carrying handle can behave dangling"
Inside the box
An instruction booklet with some shiny pages and some matte pages
And a load of sprue frames
There's an amount of very fine flash and a lot of unsympathetic sprue gates & ejector stubs that'll need a lot of care on the plethora of small parts.
There are also some clear parts, and a bag of assorted bits such as PE, string, springs etc that'll be revealed as I get to them in the build
The four decal options
And finally a panel on the box side displaying the all important note that the "Ammunition box carrying handle can behave dangling"
I knew a guy who restored a free standing one here in the UK, he had the .50 cals firing on gas as our laws don't let us own fun stuff like live fire .50's......
Once these were rectified with copious amounts of CA the tracks didn't sit properly so I added more CA & weight and left it like this overnight
