Greetings,
First off, I am new to these forums. It is an honor and a privilege to have access to such a resource. I am going to plead ignorance on all issues relative to camp stoves. My interest in these stoves is sparked (no pun intended) by my hobby, WWII reenacting. One of the items I have been itching to add to my impression is a small squad camp stove. The only place I have found them so far is on E-Bay...imagine that! I have been bidding on them and have yet to win one (funny we think we win something we are paying for). At any rate, I am looking for resources to learn about how to operate them, where to get parts if they can be gotten, how to make those I can not buy, websites (other than the zillions of sites with letters home about them...I am still going through all of those), how to cook on them, what type of fuel should be used...well, I think you get the idea....remember, I am claiming ignorance! I can not wait to get one and try my hand at cooking on it but for now, I am doing research and TRYING to WIN one!! Please accept my thanks in advance for any information you are able to provide.
If you prefer, I can be contacted directly at my e-mail, NHREB59@AOL.COM

Keith "Popeye" Rayeski
NH, USA
Liberty Rifles-Civil War
193rd Rifles-Russian WWII
E.Co.506thPIR-WWII

Hello,
Well you came to the right place. Fist off lets get the stove identified. Which one are you looking to buy. Coleman 530, or the M1941/42 stove?

Either way they burn the same fuel and roughly have the same parts that wear out. The most common fuel to use here in the US is Coleman Gas. It burns clean and is realativly cheap. (Quite the oposite in the UK and other parts of Europe). Anyway they will also work on gasoline but, from what I have read use the lowest octane available.

As far as parts go when you are bidding look for one that is complete with the extra generator. Most of the stoves have extra parts in the pump handle but, time usually has dried out the gaskets and the leather pump cup but, the generator is usually still in good condition. You will also find that the wrench is often missing. Pump cups are available through one of the people here at the board who will no doubt rely also.

The rubber gaskets and small rubber in the check valve can be found on e-bay. Or you can make them yourself or buy them from various outlets. They need to be made out of Nitril rubber so the petroleum does not deteriorate the rubber. I am currently waiting for a large sheet of nitril to arrive. I plan to make some gaskets if it works out I can mail you some to try out.

Chuck

As Chuck mentions we need to establish which stove - the M1942 was I believe used by mountain troops & there is the M1941 or 520 'Ernie Pyle" or foxhole stove (the Coleman 530 is the civilian 'GI' version).
I have the instructions for the M1941 but they are not online yet but the instructions for the civilian version are at this link:
http://www.spiritburner.com/colemangi_instr.htm
Pictures of the stoves at these links
M1942
http://www.spiritburner.com/m1942.htm
M1941/520
http://www.spiritburner.com/militarycoleman520.htm
Civilian 530 GI stove
http://www.spiritburner.com/colemangi.htm"

I particularly like the design and materials used in the M1942 "mountain" stove. This one is the all stainless and brass model. It was designed to be lighter, with a smaller tank, than its counterpart the M1941, the "grunt" stove. Getting either one of these with the label intact is difficult at best. If you do pick up one in good condition with a complete label I suggest that you preserve it rather than use it in the field. Both stoves come with a small container attached, to one of the uprights, which contains parts. There are also extra parts inside the pump plunger tube. Tha M1942 should also have an utility wrench attached to the stove in plain view on the side that has the control knob. The M1941 should have a small funnel attached to one of the unrights with a chain. Both stoves come in tube carrying case made of aluminium. The case is adjustable in height as the M1941 is slightly taller than the M1942. I have also seen the M1941 come with a steel tube carrying case of the same design as the aluminium one.
Ebay is a great source to find what you want just be willing to wait for the right item and price to match up. Patience is the key word in working Ebay. Good luck and have fun. Gordon

I have a British Army cooker which looks similar to the 1942, and gives out great hear, although the tank gets very hot. Is a hot tank norma?

Rik

When I use the M1942 the tank does heat up quite a lot after a bit. I'm not sure if it stabilizes at a certain temperature where the heat radiated would equal the reflected and convected heat the tank is absorbing, or just keeps building until BANG!! (This would be a great project for the engineer types.) I have never noticed any mechanism to release pressure other than unscrewing the filler/pump cap to engage the little "bleed hole" that appears on the side of that brass cap. I would think of the fuel vapors coming out of the tank under pressure as a major hazard to your well being!! If the tank gets hotter than my comfort level I switch stoves. The tank certainly appears to be strong enough to contain some significant pressure. But why take chances. Gordon

Folks, thank you for your replies! My interest is in the 41 I suppose. I don't know how widely distributed the mountain stainless version was in the Eastern Theater so for that reason I am inclined to go with the 41 and the green tank.
There are some on E-Bay, the quality as you might expect, varies greatly. However, as you note, catching it with the tool and funnel is difficult but even at that the prices seem to stay under 100 so I thought that was reasonable.
My thought was to try for two. A more used model for my field use and a better cared for to display.
I was hoping you'd say the Coleman fuel will work and was pleased to see I'll be okay with that.
I have a Coleman stove and lanterns I use for modern camping...always pleased with the products they produce. I suspect the operation procedures are the same but the worse time to find out you are mistaken is when your in the field and trying to make a hot meal or cup of Joe!
E-Bay has a manual listed but I was not sure it was the right one so I passed on it....I look forward to the online varity coming up. If I see another manual I'll jump on it.
Where might I find that rubber material for gaskets?
Thanks again gentlemen....gotta love this internet stuff!

Keith "Popeye" Rayeski

I have a 1941 stove here but it is in bad shape rusted pot holder. I believe it is not worth repairing, it is good for parts. There is no spreader, spaner, tin or spare kit. However there is a funnel and all the rest of the parts is there.
Nitrol; I have it and I can send you some when the time comes.
The Leather pump cups (buckets) I have them as well. I can make the prickers.
What other parts do you want.
Regards Albert

Hello Albert,
I sure could use the valve below the burner assembly. It is the part that the cleanout lever attaches to. I broke off the lever on one of my stoves.

Chuck

Folks....you are terrific to deal with...I must tell you that in my line of work, I rarely meet nice people so this is quite refreshing!
I'm not sure yet what I'll need for parts but the bidding I am doing is drawing to a close so I should have an idea in the next couple of weeks how whatever stove I end up with, stacks up.
I try to get here once a day to check what's hot (ya, I'll keep my day job) so please excuse any delay in my replies.
Getting very excited about jumping into this both feet! I think I'll be adding a few to a collection once I get started!
Thanks again...

Popeye

Sorry chuck
Adi has beet you to the punch
I have told him he can have it so I can't go back on my word now. I don't think he would appreciate me taking the parts off for you.
What about the parts off a Coleman 201 light I think this pricker lever is the same.
Regards Albert

I watched the "Bastogne" episode of the mini-series again last night; the stoves used by the 506th on the show were M1942s. This doesn't mean the real 506th used this model (though the mini-series was very well researched), but as an elite airborne unit that didn't see action until 1944, it's quite possible that they were issued with the M1942. In the book "Band of Brothers" by Stephen Ambrose, the stoves are only mentioned once (when Cpl. Gordon was wounded at Bastogne), but the model is not specified. I've sent the quote to Ross, but it hasn't yet appeared in the "Stoves in Literature" section.
....Arch

Hi Arch,

the stove in the movie appears to be the 41 but even on pause, the details are difficult at best to pick out. However, I have found these little collector items fairly common and have in fact won the bid on one. I hope to have it this week. I am going to continue to bid on them as they are my niche. The good people here know their stuff so I'll be tapping brains to learn all I can and, I hope get some pieces I may need to make her servicable.
Keith " Popeye" Rayeski