Nice video of your "Fireball " running.
I was lucky,I assembled mine,and knew the barrel was in the recoil stage. After painting,and testing everything,The gun came out to normal "in battery" positiion,
and I had a nice clean area where there would be no paint,on the sliding surface of the gun.
I plan on making a rolled tarp for the right side of the fender,with appropriate simulated straps holding it in place.
On the photos I have seen of production M-26's there were no loops on the drivers side front stoawge box.