Guest reingeneration Posted 23 October , 2013 Share Posted 23 October , 2013 I have come across this which after a little research I find is a First World War Gun Cotton Primer Container. The base is marked by an embossed stamp ' B&A III '. I would be interested to know some more of its use and if it has any value or is just of curiosity interest. 325mm long 35mm dia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 23 October , 2013 Share Posted 23 October , 2013 Interesting find, everything GW related has some value, I have never seen one before so I can't suggest a price, as a matter of interest what are the dimensions? khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest reingeneration Posted 23 October , 2013 Share Posted 23 October , 2013 Thanks, 325mm long 35mm dia cap has a bayonet fixing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 23 October , 2013 Share Posted 23 October , 2013 Thank you, interesting to know, khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 24 October , 2013 Share Posted 24 October , 2013 I've used 1 oz primers to fire 1 lb gun-cotton slabs, but the primers were C.E. (Composition Exploding) then. They were used with either an electrical detonator (No.33) or a detonator to take safety fuze No.27 (I think). Useful for cutting railway line and other demolition. The 1oz gun-cotton primers were of course the prime item in 'Jam-Tin' bombs along with lengths of barbed wire, shrapnel balls and other debris. - SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 24 October , 2013 Share Posted 24 October , 2013 Would this be the sort of explosive used by RE for bridge demolition and the like? The sort of thing to which Plastic Explosive was used for in the 50's. Old Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 25 October , 2013 Share Posted 25 October , 2013 Yes. We used P.E. and Nobels 808 as well, but gun cotton slabs were said to be better at cutting steel. I didn't have enough experience of using them to form an opinion. I do remember that Nobels 808 would give you the mother and father of a headache unless you remembered to bring rubber gloves! It was the Nitro-glycerine content.- SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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