Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/06/02

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Subject: M3 Pressure Plate
From: Bert Keuken <b.k@pi.net>
Date: Mon, 02 Jun 1997 20:33:52 +0200

Dave Munroe wrote:

Subject: Question about M3 glass pressure plate

This isn't all that important, really, but I am curious.

According to several books I've seen, my M3 should have a glass
pressure plate.  It's serial no. 819xxx which makes it a type 2
M3 (ST, PV, old style shutter speeds), vintage 1956.  It is well
before the introduction of the metal plate.

I assume the plates were coated black rather than being transparent,
but it looks like black metal to me and it sounds like metal if I tap
it with my fingernail.

Should I scratch it with a key to tell for sure? :-)
- --
Dave, you've probably done your homework really well. But I remember
having read some M3's were retro-fitted with metal pressure plates
because glass sometimes has the property of breaking just when you don't
want it to. Therefore it's possible your M3 was upgraded at a later
point in time.
- -- 
Bert Keuken

"Never chant your mantra while eating lentil stew,
it gets your T-shirt dirty." (Neil)
- --
homepage: http://home.pi.net/~bertkeuk/home.html