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20mm canada?

T

timeout

Well-Known Member
Hi Guys, looking for some info on this case please. The headstamp is not the best, the letters "TR or TP" With a hand lens it looks like a R which would make it Dominion Rubber and munitions LTD, Trois Riveres Canada. If its a "P" well I dont know. the case is 108 mm in length. my other question are....
1. what weapon fired it. The case has shallow shoulders and no neck.
2. what does MK-II mean......I have seen a case like mine with 1945 date but it was a MK-IV
3. at the bottom of the head you can see a raised bit with a slot mark in it. what is that for?

thanks for your help.......paul.20mm can 1.JPG002.JPG
 
20MM Oerlikon
Not sure about the MKs
The raised bit is the mark left by the extractor

This is a fired case. Unfired has a shoulder. Lots of info hereabouts and on the web about it's unique firing cycle.
 
The '20MM MKII' marking is typically a US marking on 20x110mm Oerlikon and Hispano cases,so this would make your case a Canadian contract to the USA case,Canadian service 20mm used the British style of headstamp on these,it would also have had TR/45 and the lot number stencilled on the side of the case before it was cleaned.
The Mk II refers to the mark of case it is.
The example below is a unfired tracer 20X110 Oerlikon with the same headstamp as yours and the T/R 45 can be made out on the case.
Tony

P6240011.jpg
 
Many thanks to both of you, I can now put that one to bed! I have a French case which I need to ID, the only number I dont understand is number 1 on it. The headstamp is 20:621 -1-MR 95 .....Is the 1 the month of manfacture? The case is 20mmx102mm Giat canon shell.....thanks...paul.
 
Timeout,

20:621 is the caliber (20mm) and the gun type (Giat M621)
It was manufactured by MR (Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, (Manurhin), France), and the "1" is the lotnumber, and "95" is the year of production (1995)
 
Hi Orpheus.... thanks I was not sure if it was a month or lot number....you have sorted it out for me....thanks.....paul.
 
Three Rivers was set up by the Canadian government in 1942 with Dominion Rubber as prime contractor primarily to manufacture .5 Vickers ammunition for the Merchant Marine. .5 Vickers equipments were being removed from warships (to be replaced by 20mm Oerlikons) and reinstalled on defensively equipped merchant ships (DEMS).

The .5 Vickers ammo made by TR differed from standard types and included additional loads such as Armour piercing Incendiary Tracer. They are distinguished by very bright colour tips. Late in the war as the Vickers became obsolete even for merchantmen, they were repaced by Oerlikons and TR switched production to 20mm.

Since many of the merchant ships were American it is hardly surprising that the TR 20mm used US terminology and found its way into US service.

More information on my website here:
https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-5-inch-vickers/-5-inch-vickers-in-canada

Regards
TonyE
 
Thanks Tony, I dont think we will ever know where it was used, but I know that its polished within a inch of its life!.....paul.
 
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