3-inch AA shell

[ydnum303]

Hi all,

Have recently acquired a 3-inch shell, the stampings on which are as follows:-

A G 3 800 (broad arrow in oval)
H 12



3 IN AA
MK 33 MOD 0
A (inside) C
(Broad arrow)

LOT 1LA121

53A

Can anybody please tell me who made it and when? I always thought that the 3" L50 gun (for which I assume this shell was intended) was entirely American, and used U.S. ammunition. However, this shell has several "Broad Arrows" on it, plus several Inspector's stamps with the broad arrow I know this gun was on several "lend-lease" ships supplied to Britain in WW2, and that the Canadians used this gun until the 1950s.


Is this shell therefore Canadian? And if so, would it have been painted in British or US colours and style?


Thanks in advance,


Roger.

 

[jvollenberg]

Would you mind posting some pictures of it? We need images of this item for a EOD publication, since the only coverage we have on it is very old and needs to be updated.

Joe

 

[raymeketa]

Does it have a fuze? The MK 33 is usually associated with the post WW II 3"/50 RF guns and the projectiles were VT fuzed.

Ray

 

[ydnum303]

This was just the shell body, unfortunately. Furthermore, someone has removed the driving band, and it has been crudely replaced by a flat steel ring (presumably so that it will sit in a case), so a photo would show something "not right".

Roger.