Dave66 Posted 17 September Share Posted 17 September Just came across a pair of these unusual cases, so I would appreciate help to identify country of manufacture etc etc….diameter is 43mm, length is 92mm, and base diameter is 50mm. Did a brief search and no luck, found a few old threads on here which may indicate German manufacture but really not sure…the base is magnetic. Thanks all, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander McLean Posted 17 September Share Posted 17 September Hello, Dave - Are there any markings on the primer? Regards, Torrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 17 September Author Share Posted 17 September 22 minutes ago, Alexander McLean said: Hello, Dave - Are there any markings on the primer? Regards, Torrey Nothing whatsoever I’m afraid anywhere as far as I can see, on either one. Thanks for looking, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Posted 17 September Share Posted 17 September It's hard to see from the pic but is there just a smaller plain circular disk in the centre of the base or is it actually a primer? It would be interesting to know what the inside of the base looks like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 17 September Author Share Posted 17 September (edited) It looks like one primer is still there, the other I think has been filled. Cleaned them up a little, more pics below. Found one thread discussing these here…. Edited 17 September by Dave66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 18 September Author Share Posted 18 September Anyone prepared to take an educated guess as to the purpose of the unusual four holes on the base (some form of extractor??) or the country of origin based on the primer used??….perhaps @14276265 may have an idea. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holger Kotthaus Posted 21 September Share Posted 21 September (edited) Actually, I was about to close my laptop. But when I came across these strange photos, I sat there and wrote what came to mind. Due to the (magnetic) iron consistency of the cartridge, I would want to consider German production. The 43 mm caliber is quite unusual, at least as a German caliber. Since this cartridge doesn't taper at the open end, I would too conclude on a bullet caliber of 43 mm. The strangest thing are the various perforated bras (?) rings that surround the metal housing. These make no sense at all with a cartridge in this shape. I've never seen anything like it. This looks almost decorative. Or does anyone have another explanation for this? The thick-walled casing of the cartridge is also very unusual; - 2-3mm? There is actually no reason for this with a classic gun type (waste of material), since the explosion gases are transferred directly to the chamber of the gun barrel. I have, however, seen ring-types described above and the holes in the base plate in an almost similar form on the cartridge of a recoilless light gun, but really only approximately. Are the four holes located inside the cartridge space or outside? Puzzling; - but always interesting. Let you know if I find out anything. Regards Holger Edited 21 September by Holger Kotthaus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 21 September Author Share Posted 21 September Thank you Holger, puzzling they certainly are, they both seem to be the same length bit I can’t say for certain that they haven’t been cut down during their conversion to decorative souvenirs. They both differ very slightly, and do seem to have a slight taper, I don’t have callipers/vernier etc so can’t get really accurate measurements….the brass seems to have a thickness of approx 1mm. I can’t see any corresponding holes inside the cartridge, but that is quite corroded. Thanks for looking, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 21 September Share Posted 21 September Are they engine starter cartridges ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 21 September Author Share Posted 21 September There’s always that possibility……when I brought them at the flea I showed them to a long established German militaria dealer who was stalling there….he said he had seen one or two similar German ersatz cartridges previously, probably dating from late ww1, but what threw him was the four holes in the base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Posted 22 September Share Posted 22 September (edited) The other possibility that came to mind is that they are blank cartridges used in depth charge projectors - they are certainly the right calibre for this. From what I have seen, the Germans used steel cartridges for this purpose at some point although there is no clear evidence so far that these are either German or WW1? Edited 22 September by Spaceman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 22 September Author Share Posted 22 September Thanks Spaceman…..a new one on me…back to the drawing board, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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