Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an outstanding display piece that will turn you into the envy of your neighborhood… or your navy. This is an original World War II manufactured Navy Quad Mount Gun Director & Sight with four inert M2 Browning Display machine guns made with original parts. The guns were built using original WWII Type issue parts on BATF compliant non-firing display receivers. The sideplates are destroyed and can never be restored. The barrels are deactivated. Each of thes M2 display machine guns is completely inert, built onto BATF-compliant dummy receivers, which have had over 40% of the right hand side plate removed, with the remainder angle cut with a flame torch removing at least 1/4" material per cut As such, they are totally legal to own without a license of any kind. As with all deactivated ordnance, this quad mount is Not Available for Export.

The Gun Director retains its original data plates:

U.S. NAVY
BUREAU OF ORDNANCE
GUN DIRECTOR
MARK 51 MOD. 3
INSP. (ANCHOR) DATE 1944
SER. NO. 11886
SPERRY GYROSCOPE CO. INC.

An accompanying data plate lists the Ordalts, or alterations, accomplished on the director, of which there are four, 2349, 2360, 2362, and 2411. The Gun Director still functions well, moving to the left and right, the degree wheel still fully intact. The handles are well-retained and we can’t accurately explain the feeling you get when using it! It can still be pointed upwards as well. The director even retains its original spider sight, which really completes the look of this piece.

There is another data plate for the Air Supply Unit Assembly for the Gun Sight Mark 15 reading:

U.S. NAVY - BU. OF ORD.
AIR SUPPLY UNIT ASS’Y NO. 417054-1
FOR
GUN SIGHT MARK 15
INSPECTOR G.H.B. SER. NO. 97908
MF’D FOR
SPERRY GYROSCOPE COMPANY, INC.
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
BY
THE CROSLEY CORP. (ANCHOR)
CINCINNATI, OHIO

There are a myriad of other small markings and inspection stamps across the entire piece. It appears that most of the original wiring of the director is intact, but we have no way of knowing for sure, as the reference available for pieces like this is very minimal.

The entire quad mount measures roughly 82” from the ground to the tip of the barrel of the Brownings. The pedestal sits upon an octagonal base, measuring 6 feet by 6 feet, 3½” tall, which is likely not of the World War II era and was likely added later, during the Korean War or Vietnam War era. It still fits the set well, however. The side of the pedestal is painted with the insignia of River Patrol Force TF-116, which saw combat during the Vietnam War, but this is certainly just a later-added decal for display.  

The barrel supports of the Brownings are most likely original, but we cannot say for sure. The rear top covers may be original, but the front covers are definitely reproduction or rewelded originals. All four mounts come with ammunition boxes which still fit well into their slots, with the latches still fully functional. The only things inside of each receiver are large blocks of steel, and a threaded block of steel to screw the deactivated barrels into. 

This gun director is one of the greatest display pieces we have ever offered, something that will certainly become the centerpiece of any collection it becomes a part of. We certainly won’t ever see another one. Comes ready for further research and display.

Truck freight with curbside delivery within 48 states is included in the price.

A director, also called an auxiliary predictor, is a mechanical or electronic computer that continuously calculates trigonometric firing solutions for use against a moving target, and transmits targeting data to direct the weapon firing crew.

For warships of the 20th century, the director is part of the fire control system; it passes information to the computer that calculates range and elevation for the guns. Typically, positions on the ship measured range and bearing of the target; these instantaneous measurements are used to calculate rate of change values, and the computer ("fire control table" in Royal Navy terms) then predicts the correct firing solution, taking into account other parameters, such as wind direction, air temperature, and ballistic factors for the guns. The British Royal Navy widely deployed the Pollen and Dreyer Fire Control Tables during the First World War, while in World War II a widely used computer in the US Navy was the electro-mechanical Mark I Fire Control Computer.

On ships the director control towers for the main battery are placed high on the superstructure, where they have the best view. Due to their large size and weight, in the World War II era the computers were located in plotting rooms deep in the ship, below the armored deck on armored ships.