Mark_Mark
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when a gun has sleds… you know it trouble
Cannon rounds from WWII
- Thread starter Bazoo
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Speedo66
Member
It's Finnish, they ski everywhere, even in the summer.
rabid wombat
Member
3” 50 brass
Mark_Mark
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wonder if you can substitute with SPP? magnums probably
Archie
Member
No idea what they are.
But I understand the late Elmer Keith had the smaller one in an African rifle.
But I understand the late Elmer Keith had the smaller one in an African rifle.
CapnMac
Member
Usually no.
USN rounds from 3" up are "separate loading." Bagged powder goes in the cases, and they are only mated to the projectile in the breech. The case provides obturation and simplified the breech structure. The projectiles can be set up in separate magazines from the propelling charges, which has some ship safety aspects. It also allows for getting different kinds of projectiles on the hoist, and swapping them to need.
From 8" rifles up (the exception being the Mk 17 8"50, largest round to use separate loading) the charges are bagged and the bags run up to the guns on their own hoists. (The Mk 17, installed on the Des Moines cruisers, had a rapid enough fire rate to be used--for a short while--as anti-aircraft artillery.)
Army howitzers are often separate loading, but the loading can be varied to change the range by pulling bags out. From memory, both the 105 and 155 were separate loading at various times. The 155 sometimes just used bagged powder, at least in older days. The 8"/208mm were always loose bags, and not in a cartridge.
lightman
Member
Those are pretty cool! The oldest that I have are some 37MM Anti tank rounds from WW1 dated 1917 and 1918. I also have an ash tray made from some type of Navy shell thats pretty cool. My more modern stuff includes a few loaded 50BMG, a 20MM and a 30MM round. I also have a couple of 20MM Phalanx cases like NIGHTLORD pictured. The guy that gave them to me told me what gun, ship and date they were fired on.
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
A 37mm from that era would likely have been from a French Mle 1916 Puteaux infantry gun and fired high-explosive rather than AP as the Central Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary, etc.) had only a handful of tanks themselves so there was no real need. The main job of the 37mm at that time was demolishing bunkers, machine gun and artillery emplacements.
lightman
Member
Thats interesting! Most of my gun related stuff is still packed up from the recent move. I'll try to remember to look at the headstamp once I get everything unpacked.
CapnMac
Member
And since we are somewhat on the topic, Tom Scott (the Older One) on firing the 14"45 rifles on USS Texas
CapnMac
Member
Bore caliber and Barrel length = nn calibers. So, the 3"25 has a 75" barrel; the 3"50 has a 150" barrel.
The venerable 5"38 had a 5x38, or 195" barrel. Short so it would swing faster. Later replaced by the 5"/54 with a 270" barrel (with some outstanding train and elevation motors to track aircraft).
Reloadron
Contributing Member
I have a shell with headstamp markings 120MM T25 dated 1958 Lot N R-6-11 and this thing is big and heavy. My sister's husband, a retired Marine had it in his reloading room. He used it for his cleaning rods. When Mike passed away my sister gave it to me and I use it as Mike did. Short rods go in heavy cardboard tubes I shoved in there.
T25 Artillery shell case. M58. 33 x 7 inches! 23 pounds!
I have some other stuff like 20MM and 50 BMG but this thing is big, real big.
Ron
T25 Artillery shell case. M58. 33 x 7 inches! 23 pounds!
I have some other stuff like 20MM and 50 BMG but this thing is big, real big.
Ron
OP
OP
Bazoo
Member
The cases I have are not clean inside. They have a bit of corrosion and old residue. What’s a good way for me to clean the inside?
I have used a mixture of:
500 ml water.
50 ml hydrogen peroxide
30 gr citric acid
It does a nice job on getting the tarnish off with out making the case look like a pimp owned it!
You might need something a little stronger for the inside.
I once used concrete etch that did a real nice job, but I forgot to write down the brand/ingredients.
A friend of mine has one converted to .50bmg it still rocks you when fired!
Another friend who had a class lll had a single shot 20mm cannon that he reloaded for, I think at the time (15 years ago) it was about $6.00 round.
CapnMac
Member
That will be from the 120mm anti-aircraft cannon. It was a beast. Had a folding cruciform platform "trail" that allowed 360° traverse. In the late 40s, they included radar direction.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
CapnMac
Member
Not a problem. Tried to find a photo of one deployed--dang thing is huge. They had a problem transporting them by rail for tunnel clearance in WWII.
You could town one, barely, with a 7.5ton truck (the 12 ton was preferred). The ammo was delivered by 7.5ton trucks, and you needed a 2.5ton truck for the gun crew, and a 1.5t trailer for their gear. The commo wire and such needed its own 1.5 ton truck. SO, each gun was a convoy with about 25 people.
Big guns get like that pretty quickly.
Iowa class battleship turret (moving parts) weighed about as much as a Destroyer displaces (2100 tons), and in WWII configuration were crewed by 76 per each (about 12 more than a Fleet submarine).
rabid wombat
Member
Dad giggled about that very fact. He did his brief time in WWII on a DE. Eventually got credit for Korea and Viet Nam, too. Luckily, he never had hard duty, unlike many on this forum and elsewhere.
My cousin served on the NJ,during it's deployment. One day they were going to do 9 gun broadside and everyone was told to be behind cover.
Some thought it would be a good idea to hold up their cameras from behind cover to get a picture of the broadside, I think those cameras are still among the missing
.
Some thought it would be a good idea to hold up their cameras from behind cover to get a picture of the broadside, I think those cameras are still among the missing
.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Years ago, maybe around 75 to 79 I made several trips to Naval Air Station Cubi Point and the Naval Base at Subic Bat Philippines. During one such trip I remember seeing the big guns off one of our battle ships. Really pretty cool. Then during the early 80s I did the first two deployments of the then new CVN 69 (USS Eisenhower) as what we called a civilian component of DoD. I recall one morning one of our battleships coming alongside and looking down those big guns. Memorable experience. I never was in the Navy but was a Marine who worked naval commands. Pretty much globally. Following 9 years active duty as a Marine I went to work for DoD. My last years till I retired 9 years ago was a transition from NAVAIR to NAVSEA (Navy Nuclear Propulsion). All in all it was a great ride.
Ron
Ignition Override
Member
What amazes me is how some 40 mm rounds exploded a certain distance from a ship , as seen in films with kamikaze attacks, while other rounds were designed with magnetic proximity fuses.
I can’t remember any WW2 films which depict proximity shells actually exploding very close to an aircraft.
I can’t remember any WW2 films which depict proximity shells actually exploding very close to an aircraft.
lysanderxiii
Member
Anti-aircraft variable time (VT or proximity) fuses were not magnetic, but radio/radar actuated. Aircraft do not have a large magnetic signature. The design is simply to emit a weak radio pulse and listen for it to bounce off the target. By varying the strength of the initial pulse the stand-off range can be set.
With any fuse, timed, proximity, or point detonating/impact, there are three points where it can detonate.
1) If the fuse malfunctions, it can detonate as soon as it arms (minimum distance), by design sufficiently far enough that fragments cannot injure personnel at the firing point.
2) As designed, after a set length of time (time fuse) or when close enough for fragments to damage the target (proximity), or on impact with the target
3) After a predetermined length of time past the probable target location (self-destruct), so as not to be a hazard if it misses the target, usually at tracer burn-out.
4) VT fuses were used on the 5 in guns from 1943 onwards. 40mm Bofors used HEI-T/SD or HE-T/SD with a point detonating, self destruct fuses for the entire war, the size of the battery limited the size of the fuse.
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