Help needed to identify brass objects

[coxon]

Hi, my name is Julian, and I'm new to this website, so please excuse my ignorance!
My Great Grandfather Pte George Coxon was in the A.S.C. during the first World War, and we still have a few of his "souvenirs", including a Mills bomb money box, compass and half a trench periscope.
We also have 2 brass objects that I've always assumed were shells. They are 1.050" diameter (26.5mm), 4" long, with a rounded nose. They have a screw thread in the end, and have been drilled out, presumably to empty the contents.
Can anyone out there tell me what they are? It would be nice to know after all these years if they really are from the First World War, or maybe something later?
Thank you!
Julian

 

[spotter]

hello julian and welcome to bocn,is it possible for you to add aphoto of the objects ,this would help a lot
regards spotter

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Welcome

Hi Julian and welcome, as Spotter says a picture or two will make identification simple, as they say "a picture is worth a thousand words" so look forward to seeing them.

Chris :tinysmile_shy_t:

 

[Fuzeman]

Hi Julian
Welcome to BOCN the friendliest ordnance collectors net

 

[coxon]

Thanks for the warm welcome!
I've taken a couple of photos, and I've tried to attach them, but I'm not sure it's worked.
If you can see the photos, you'll notice that I've included another mystery object in the photo. I doubt it's anything other than a lump of brass, but I thought it was worth asking.
Thanks,
Julian

 

[spotter]

part of the primer system from artillery cartridges
Attatched images show EXAMPLES ONLY and are not a positive id of your type

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Primers.

Hi Coxon thanks for the photo's that makes it easier to identify them.
As Spotter says they are Cartridge Case primers and as you will see from the attached pictures they come in all manner of lengths.

You may well not be able to tie down exactly which type of case they come from as one type can and often does fit a few varients, the first picture shows a primer that fits either 17 pounder, 3.7" AA or 20 pounder cases.
And I suspect that you are right that the middle item is purely a block of Brass !

Chris :tinysmile_shy_t:

 

[coxon]

Wow! I'm very impressed. I've been staring at them for years, wondering what they might be, and you've solved the puzzle in a couple of hours!
Do you think they were taken from a shell after it was fired, or do they get destroyed?
Is it likely that they're from WW1 as I thought, or are they more recent?
Thanks again,
Julian

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Ageless items !

Hi Coxon in answer to your question it is most likely they have been removed from cases after firing and the percussion cap end removed then as I see they look fairly well polished which usually means someone has cleaned all the residue/corrosion off them from firing.

As for the dates that is sadly not possible to determine as the design has changed little over many years with only minor changes having been made to the designs.
When cases are fired, if they are recovered the primers are usually removed for smelting at a specialist plant (due to a possible explosion risk!) with the visibly empty cases either being resized/reworked and subsequently refilled or just plain scrapped.

Hope that helps you.
Chris :tinysmile_shy_t: