Darkman
Well-Known Member
I recently acquired this early 57mm 6 Pr shell and I’m trying to work out if it’s a Nordenfelt or Hotchkiss. It’s the longer of the 2 shells shown on the right, alongside what I believe to be a similar Hotchkiss of the same era. The shell is 240mm long and the crimp groove is a smidge under 1 inch (24.5mm) below the driveband. The driveband has 3 undercut grooves, rather than the usual Hotchkiss style 2. It’s a “truncated” flat-tip shell which I believe signifies a Common pointed cast-iron shell. It’s stamped with a C and a subdued W on the base - no other markings. The base fuze hole has 12 TPI and fits a standard Hotchkiss fuze from Mk II (1890) onwards. The Mk I Hotchkiss base fuze from 1886 to May 1890 had 14 TPI. I estimate the shell to be early 1890s but Nordenfelt was bought out by Maxim in 1888. Is it a Nordenfelt or Maxim-Nordenfelt shell?
Thanks, Graeme
Thanks, Graeme
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