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2 Pr AP or P?

Bonnex

Premium/Ordnance Approved
Ordnance approved
Premium Member
Borrowed from a chum yesterday. What does the team think this 2pr QF Shot is? Solid, no base aperture.

Markings are something like:

III
2 Pr
Possible P or F
F S (forged steel)
H possible D
26 . 11 . 18
LOT

NN513
M16
G4 in Circle (several inpectors marks like this)

Thanks
 

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Hi Bonnex,
Can't help with the id other than to agree with hicky and say it would lend itself to a AP round given it's shape i think we need Tigbrand to give us his verdict on this one, i have not seen one without a tracer pocket or threaded hole for a base fuze before but as i really don't have enough knowledge on these i will look forward to poss ID. A lovely looking projectile i don't have one of those yet,
Best regards Weasel.
 
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2 pdr

Ive never seen one without the base fuse pocket. But looks like a p on it to me. I believe the normal base fused common pointed shell is FS as well so why make a different version.this looks to be the same profile I think practice,but thats only my opinion,and im usually wrong,especially when it involves my partner!!
 
Thanks everybody. I'm not usually completely green on these things but the date, shape and markings just didn't seem to lend itself to the obvious; which is why I borrowed it.
 
I've not seen a WWI pointed shot before, looks to be a practice projectile that I wasn't aware of.
Can you post the projectile length so it can be compared to the Common shell.
 
I've not seen a WWI pointed shot before, looks to be a practice projectile that I wasn't aware of.
Can you post the projectile length so it can be compared to the Common shell.

Approx 158mm. Wt 916g.
 
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Approx 158mm. Wt 916g.

The length is the same as the common shell, the weight is near as damn it 2 pounds which is heavier than an empty common shell. I'd have imagined that a solid practice shot would be smaller than the shell?
 
With you on that Quatermass.
Possibly exploring the avenue of a full weight AP shell that will just penetrate rattle around inside with the dire consequences that this would lead to? Not forgetting good old Whitehall cost savings?! against an exploding/incediary shell
 
BOCN 3 pdr1.jpg

Comparison between a 3 PR common pointed and solid practice.

I would have imagined that the 2 PR would show a similar difference in size, just goes to show you never stop learning.
Something else I'll keep an eye out for!
 
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Not the AP projectile for the Mk VI gun then :tinysmile_shy_t:
 
2pr ap

Question; why would the 2 pr AA/navy gun have an AP shot in 1918? it does not seem logical to me. To get technical is it really solid? you know its weight so find its volume and multiply be the density of steel and the two numbers should be similar if its solid. (basic physics to get the volume by filling a container brim full of water, immerse the shot in it catching what water overflows, measure the volume that over flowed in cubic centimeters multiply by density and answer is in gramms) still a nice item to have. Oh also aren't ap not as FS? 2pr
 
Its possible that it has an internal cavity with the base closed with a plug, a photo of the base may help with that one.
I can imagaine that the standard common pointed projectile, inert filled and plugged, could have been used for practice and perhaps this is a purpose made example?
 
Its possible that it has an internal cavity with the base closed with a plug, a photo of the base may help with that one.
I can imagaine that the standard common pointed projectile, inert filled and plugged, could have been used for practice and perhaps this is a purpose made example?

It does not seem likely by looking at it or given the weight but I'll do the Archimedes thing suggested by 2Pr.

As for AP in 1918 there are (from OB Annual Report) two experimenal interests in 2Pr: one for the Davis gun; and one for an EOC designed Tank Gun (Mk VI - which did not get very far). From following a bit of a trail into Research Department drawing lists the latter seems to be a Hotchkiss base fuzed common shell.
 
Experimentation with AP shot around 1918 would make sense as due to the use of tanks @ Passchendaele & Cambrai this was going to be the next logical road to go down was how to stop them!
If you have access to a hardness tester (rockwell etc) that would tell you if the tip is AP without it damaging the round.
I have access to one.
 
The cc of this projectile is about 152 and the water immersion has revealed a likely steel closing plate 25mm diam.
 
2pr ap

Density of steel is from 7.75 to 8.02 so if solid, weight of the proj. should be 1.2 ish Kg which it isnt so I suspect it is hollow. Base fuze dia for a common pointed is around 18mm. All that and we're no wiser as to what it actually is. 2pr
 
Practice projectile

Density of steel is from 7.75 to 8.02 so if solid, weight of the proj. should be 1.2 ish Kg which it isnt so I suspect it is hollow. Base fuze dia for a common pointed is around 18mm. All that and we're no wiser as to what it actually is. 2pr

Well I think it confirms (if there was any doubt) that its a practice projectile.
Theres no reason why the closing plate would be the same size as a fuze socket, this is a purpose made practice projectile rather than a conversion of a ex commom pointed projectile.
Its also worth noting its a Mk 3 projectile so there were others (the Mk 1 was of the capped type).

Something else to put on the wish list!
 
Definitly practice

I have one of these so can confirm that standing side by side with the common pointed shell they are identical. The projectile is hollow and sealed by a steel closing disk with (on mine) six stab marks. I suspect that a standard projectile was used with the base threads drilled and the plug inserted. The cavity is the same as in the standard round. How do you know, I hear you say? Well at some point someone decided to inert the one I have by drilling a small neat hole in the base! :tinysmile_cry_t3:

BD
 
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