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Help ID'ing Projectiles Needed Please

Juzzy

Active Member
Hi, I picked up these two projectiles yesterday after buying them in an online auction. The white one appears to be a 25lb AP shot. It is about 230mm long (9 inches) and 85mm (3.3 inches) in diameter and weighs 8.8kg (19.4lb). It has a smooth driving band that only very slightly protrudes above the body of the shot, and has the markings AP 25LB, with an I or T after that (probably T for tracer I guess). The tracer hole is within a recess that has a thread on it. I have a couple of other 25lb AP shot projectiles and the tracer hole extends directly from the base of the projectile and is not in a recess. Would a tracer assembly have screwed into this recess ? Were these projectiles ever white ? or would this have just been painted by someone ? Can anyone tell me about this projectile ?

The second projectile is a rusty AP shot ? shell ? It is about 220mm (8.7 inches) long, 75mm (2.95 inches) in diameter, and weighs 6.1kg (13.4lb). The only markings on the base are a Y enclosed in a circle, and an A. The base has some sort of assembly screwed into it, and I am wondering whether this is a tracer ? There is some white material in it, and I was wondering if this is tracer material ? If so, can this be easily safely removed ? or does the whole projo need to be destroyed by the authorities ? Your advice would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

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Hi Juzzy ,

The white one looks to be a 25lb AP projectile,with a thread adapter for a spigot,to create a 3" rocket warhead.
These were made by remanufacturing the standard 25lb AP artillery projectile.
The driving band has been turned down and re stamped.
These were used as warheads for the 3" aircraft rocket and also by the army as a line/explosive cord laying device.

Cheers,
Bob
 
Your second projo is a 76mm High Velocity U.S. tank gun projo for the M41 Walker Bulldog Tank. That gun has been used by other countries, but originated in the U.S. It dates from late 40's early 50's up till fairly recent times by those foreign counries. I can't see any helical scratches on it to tell if it is fired or not. If it was fired, the remaining tracer material would have been burned and harmless. Even if it hasn't been burned, it still poses minimal risk. It takes a good fire to get the stuff started. You gould dig it out with something pointy to minimize the worries of anyone else.

It's too bad someone removed the rotating band, or it came off when it impacted.

There are some other threads here on BOCN that discuss this projo:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/identification-tips-t43248.html?t=43248&highlight=walker+bulldog

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/3-apt-perhaps-t42730.html?t=42730&highlight=walker+bulldog
 
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Thanks Guys

Thanks very much for the info. I feel a lot better now knowing my garden shed is not likely to spontaneously self destruct !!!! Cheers. :bigsmile:
 
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