Leica M2/M3 Tulip (M4) take up?

B-9

Devin Bro
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I know there was a thread on here at some point, where a crafty user dreamt up a tulip M4 style quick load take up spool that fit right in place of the typical spool. Can anyone link to that old post? Ive tried searching with no luck!
Again I believe this was done for a M2, ide like to attempt it on my M3 or MD.

Interested in possibly taking a stab at this one!
Thanks in advance!
 
Ah, yes. That! (sorry for the hijack).

The earlier thread doesn't say anything about how to make the mod. Just that Don at DAG CR sent this to the OP. Apparently as a gift.

The pics look like its made of brass. Appears to have started life as an entire brass cylinder then cut and shaped and bent to final configuration.

To me, it looks like it was made from a rifle cartridge. I'm very, very curious to hear more about this. Hopefully someone will chime in...
 
Im gonna stop by the local hardware and hobby shops tomorrow in search of brass/copper tube of the appropriate diameter. To be honest, this doesnt appear very complex. My M4-2 baseplate should help with this project.
 
FYI, Don can make a mod to the M3 that gives it M4/M6 loading. He has done this to mine. Can't be done to the M2 as far as I know as there is no way to reset the counter to zero when the base plate comes off...
 
I did manage to measure the inside diameter of the oem take up spool.
It appears to be 7/16, not your typical copper/brass tube size.
3/8 would be very close, but I couldn't get my hands on any either.

Might have to try making it from a flat sheet?
 
Are you confusing a DIY takeup spool with the one Leica made to convert the M3 to quickload? They made a replacement spool that looks very much like the one you describe. To reset the counter, you pull the central part down. I have one on an M3 and it makes loading much quicker. As rolfe pointed out, DAG can convert to an M4 takeup tulip and that, too, works well.
 
FYI, Don can make a mod to the M3 that gives it M4/M6 loading. He has done this to mine. Can't be done to the M2 as far as I know as there is no way to reset the counter to zero when the base plate comes off...

I think you are mixing the M2 and M3 up. M2 has a manual frame counter.
 
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