German 50mm Projectile

[orcutteod]

Enclosed are pictures of a projectile which I think is WWII era. I'm used to seeing projectiles with a copper drive band and this one is steel. What do I have here? Thanks.

 

[StielGr]

It looks like a German 5cm Pzgr which is less common than the normal 5cm Pzgr 39 (capped projectile). What is the total length from the base to the tip?

Many German projectiles have a FES driveband which is a ferrous/steel band.

PC

 

[orcutteod]

Lenght is 6 inches.

 

[pzgr40]

The difference between the 5cm Pzgr. and the 5cm Pzgr.39 can be found not only in the piercing cap, but also in the length of the projectile body. The projectile body of the 5cm Pzgr (V) is 161.2 mm long , the body of the Pzgr 39 –without piercing cap- is 152mm long. So, if ever you get a 5cm Pzgr. offered, check the length; a 152 mm long projectile body is a 5cm Pzgr39 with it’s piercing cap missing/removed. When offered , the simpelest way to quickly measure is by placing the projectile perpendicular on a table nose down, measuring from table surface to the base of the projectile with a tape ruler.

The uncapped type is extremely rare . It took me 30 years to get one in a "" archeological state".
Even than it was worth the hell of a lot of trouble to get it back into shape again.


http://www.wk2ammo.com/showthread.php?5923-5cm-Pzgr-V-restoration

Regards, DJH

 

[StielGr]

The projectile body of the 5cm Pzgr (V) is 161.2 mm long , the body of the Pzgr 39 –without piercing cap- is 152mm long.

That's why I said it looks like. Unfortunately the measurement of 6 inches would suggest that the projectile is a normal Pzgr 39 missing the cap as per the measurements kindly supplied by pzgr40.

 

[pzgr40]

6 x 25.4 = 152mm. So it is a 5cm Pzgr 39 with it's piercing cap removed. As the projectile is unfired the piercing cap cannot have gone missing due to impact. It is tin brassed to the nose of the projectile and cannot be removed without extreme mechanical force. It can be removed by only heating up the projectile about 250 degrees so the tin brass melts away and the cap can be removed. Clearly an example where one tries to sell quite a common projectile (with piercing cap) as a very rare one (without piercing cap).
Regards, DJH

 

[bdgreen]

Another picture for comparison.

 

[pzgr40]

In this picture one can clearly see the difference between the body length of the two projectiles
Regards, DJH

 

[orcutteod]

Thanks to the forum I now know what I have. BTY StielGR I spent time through out Ulster with a small American Air Force group inspecting cattle for sale at all the American commissary's in Scotland and England. The time frame was the mid seventies when things were still hot over their.

 

[StielGr]

I am sure I have posted the first picture before but as you will see it is missing one member of the family.

It has starting to get a wee bit interesting this weekend in the province as all the G8 stuff starts to kick off. It was a reminder of my childhood days today with all the VCP's around the main airport and police landrovers in large convoys all over the place.

(PM sent)

PC

 

[orcutteod]

I assume all the parades associated with the Orange Order is still going on? I guess some things never change.

 

[StielGr]

Oh yes, it's all part of the culture of Northern Ireland....along with throwing petrol bombs at the police.

 

[orcutteod]

Are the German 37mm AP projectiles set up the same way with an piercing cap ? I passed on one recently with out the cap.

 

[Tmine35]

German 37mm AP-shells did not have cap, but some German made for Czech 37mm did have.

 

[EOD]

German 37mm AP-shells did not have cap, but some German made for Czech 37mm did have.

German navy 37mm APHE-T had caps.

 

[Nabob]

As the projectile is unfired the piercing cap cannot have gone missing due to impact. It is tin brassed to the nose of the projectile and cannot be removed without extreme mechanical force. It can be removed by only heating up the projectile about 250 degrees so the tin brass melts away and the cap can be removed.

As with 75mm and 88mm when the 50mm AP's are found unfired and missing the caps, they usually went thru an explosion. It is quite common that the fuze is missing but the explosive is still there.

Regards, Bob