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how hard is it to find a big bertha casing?

M

morser124

Well-Known Member
Hello.

Im just wondering how hard it is to find a big bertha casing? how rare are they and how much someone would pay to own one?

Any info would be great.
Thankyou very much
 
I think they do turn up sometimes but it is not my field of collecting. I think the last gamma mrser casing that I saw was asking 2800,00 euro so expect about the same for Bertha. But asking the money is not the same as getting the money. But somebody here will have more info.
 
hello, thankyou for the reply. How long ago was that price for the casing because am i right in thinking that the price for these rare casings keeps increasing? i once had a quote of around 4000 for one, plus getting something that heavy shipped. The 2800 euro is a much better price though :)
 
Allow me to hop on this bus. :)

I am also looking for the big-Bertha casings. But mainly I'm looking out for a 38cm SK L/45 Max" casing.

I myselve am from Belgium (Diksmuide) and I'm inspired by the "Leugenboom"-site in Koekelare - where there
is/was a cannon named "De lange Max".

The biggest caliber of casing I have so far is the 15cm SK L/43 Krupp Kanone M16 and I'm trying to get my hands on a 24cm
eisenbahngeschtze. Hoping to slowly work my way up.

I've already sended a pb to some members, but I also wanted to give a shout in this topic.

So if anyone knows something like how, where and with who I can start looking around please feel free to send me a pb.

I now this can (and probalby will) be quite the adventure but that's wat excites me. :cool:
Who will I meet, where will I go and what more will I learn along the way....

And If I will find one, where was it hidden, what's the story behind it (yeah yeah, I know, buy the OBJECT not the STORY)

I'm looking forward to hearing from you all.
 
The Big Berta with the necked case is a rare one. Price is based on the demand of a sole collector, there is not even a marked price for it. The 38 cm L/45 cases, in the last 3 years they seem to grow better than stocks. 3 years ago i bought 3 cases for about 1100 euro each. Now you see them go up to 2800 euro's. Still, they are out there, but you have to get in the field and go to old farmers, metal dealers, street markets etc. As soon they are "discovered" by dealers, prices go higher.
The 24 cm cases per example. 4 years ago they went up to 600 euro, or 700 with the haube. Last year i bought 4 for an average of 350 euro. Now they are increasing again. 9 out of 10 cases in my collection do come from Belgium, and more and more do come from dealers who buy complete inventories of old houses. None of the cases i bought lately come from militaria or ammo shows.
 
Thanks thekees for this explanation.

So much luck you've had those past years then damn...

Well, guess I really have to put my back under it then.

Time to make up a plan of action. :cool:
 
I've made some progress; tomorrow I'm going to pick up a 24cm shell for about 450€. This seems a fair price
after reading the information you've been giving me. ;)

Pictures will follow ofcourse.
 
What a trip... a 3 hour drive to the nice countryside of Picardi (France.) :cool:
Great couple, both antique-collectors. I had a nice "Noisette" (strong small cup of coffee)
and we had a nice chat. Altough they've had it for at least 20years, there is no story behind this casing.

It's dated MAI 1918. Made in Karlsruhe.

I tried taking pictures with my cell but they've turned out quite messy. So I'll post 2 of my own, the others
are taken by the previous owner. :)

Mine;

1st pic with a german 7,7cm for comparison.
DSC_0528.jpgDSC_0535.jpg

Following are taken by previous owner;

IMG_0192.jpgIMG_0197.jpg$_57.JPG$_57 (1).jpg

Does anyone has a good tip to clean the bottom. I don't want to do much about it, but I
still want to get at least the green stuff off it.

I'm happy about it. And I hope the price is right. :D

Up to the next one. :eek:
 
Congratulations on your find, it is nice to hear that you have been rewarded for your effort - nice case.

regards Kev
 
I clean brass with a mixture of Muratic acid and water 50/50 mix. 0000 steel wool aids in the removal of dark spots. You can mix it using more water to adjust how much patina you wish to remain on the brass. This acid is found in the paint section of a hardware store. Great for getting the real tough stuff off. Cleans dull brass in seconds by just wiping with a soft cloth.
 
Thanks Kev , and now I've got the taste of it I'll carry on.

@Will M. thanks for the tip, I'll look into it.
 
Today I've got a tip on a 28cm SK L/45-50 casing.

It's an early one,

VI 1907
293 (stamp from Patronenfabrik Karlsruhe??)

askingprice: 1300€

I'll give you 2 pics
102_5538.jpg102_5539.jpg

I'm not quite sure I'll go for this one because it's so early...
But what do you guys think?
 
The time to buy this stuff, is when you see it. You will always be able to sell it later, but it won't be available for you to buy later if you change your mind. If you have the money, get when the getting is good! You will be kicking yourself later for not buying it. You can always trade it away for something you want more.
 
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