Looking at a swag of 242Bs and a 242K I noticed the bail diameter changed around 1955 to 1956, or so it appears to me. 12 1935 0.166" Canada (242K) 1 1936 0.167" Canada (Early 242B) 8 1939 0.163" Canada 7 1950 0.163" Australia 8 1951 0.166" Australia 9 1955 0.165" Canada 2 1956 0.145" Australia 8 1957 0.146" Australia 2 1958 0.144" Australia From an average of 0.165" through to around 1955 to an average of 0.145" from 1956 onwards. Does this accord with USA models 242B and 242C which should probably be 0.165" as they finished in 1950? Is it consistent with your model 242B Colemans? Can the change be pinned down more around 1955/56 ? Iain
I’d like to check some of mine, so thanks for posting this. I was making some repop bails for oddball lanterns and measured a few. I didnt find anything exactly the right size but located some straight stainless rod in a junkyard that was close. I’ll measure and report back.
I got a wartime 242c 12/45 with a bail thickness of more than 5mm around 5.2 and that points it to around .20 inches seems off or my caliper is.
