Mystery mark?

[navyman]

Hello all,
Today I received an inert 30mm practice round as used in a Harrier. Apart from the usual stamped marks I noticed this odd looking inscription in large letters on the steel body of the projectile. It reads XXIV, approx 1.14mm in height and roughly inscribed. Has anyone have any ideas as to why it should be there? The only other stamp on the projectile is a neatly stamped RG 90. Could this have been scribed on there at Radway Green, a Brummie joke or an experiment of some sort?
Mystified?
navyman.

 

[harley]

Really strange, ive seen proof rounds with numbers and letters written in felt tip pen but never any thing like that navy man, as you said it could just be someone playing a practical joke who knows

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Question ?

Harley a question !

Is the black paint original as far as you can tell ?
And do the markings appear underneath this layer of paint-they appear to bo "beneath" the paint on your picture ?

Are there any markings on the alloy tip perhaps on the very top ?

 

[staples57]

Other than the obvious, XXIV being Roman numerals for 24?

Possibly...
- Graffiti by a previous owner? The black paint appears to be covering the XXIV... possibly also painted by a previous owner?
- A crude (very crude) way to catalog the projectile in a collection
- Being a practice round, could it be a crude serial number for the 24th evolution in the development of a new projectile

Cheers!
Brad

 

[navyman]

Hello Chris,
The marks are underneath the the black paint and there are no marks on the alloy head. The RG 90 stamp is crisp and neatly done at the top of the steel body just below the joint between the body and the plain alloy tip. The neat RG 90 letters are 4.83mm high and also under the black paint. Where as the Roman numerals 24 look rough and are not parallel to the horizontal axis. I'm baffled, there are no other marks on the projectile. I only noticed the '24' marks as I was taking a picture for the collection catalogue? As for the colour, behind the drive band the scant remains appear to be the amber like colour of button polish similar to that on the HE 2" mortar case, but only traces remain.
Cheers,
Guy.

 

[navyman]

Hello Brad,
Your point three was something I had considered, perhaps a batch No for a test series. The numerals look stamped, but by someone either in a hurry or not very experienced at using stamps, The two 'X's look as though they have been struck twice and the whole thing is very lightly struck compared to the RG 90?
Thanks for your interest, I'd like to solve this little mystery, just out of curiosity as I've seen rounds with graffiti before, but never met a graffiti artist with a hammer and a pocketful of stamps!
Cheers,
Guy.

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Proof of Driving Band?

Hi Navyman,thanks for the info regarding the paint and markings underneath.

Given the fairly modern date of the projectile (1990) I am suspecting it is a "recovery" round and was fired as a "Proof of Driving Band" test-have a very careful look over the driving band where it meets the steel body and look for small tell tale scratches/lines where the projo has been marked-a straight line across the body and driving band would incate it was a "Proof of Driving band" as these are factory numbered by hand before painting, filling and despatch for firing on a proof range.
Letter stamps are not used due to the material hardness and risk of deformation of the body as stamping would have to be done in a very hard manner whereas an "electric pencil" with a Tungsten tip will clearly and deeply mark the steel body without any deformation.
Roman numerals are sometimes used because they are not so easily mistaken for numbers that may get slightly worn off when skipping down a sandy beach for instance.

 

[navyman]

Hello Chris,
Thanks for your interesting reply. I can't see any of the marks you described so have taken some more pictures in case you may see something which I've missed?
I've tried to get the entire circumference in as best I can.
Cheers,
Guy.

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Proof of something !

Well Guy looks like I may have shot my bolt on that one then !:tinysmile_cry_t3:
if it were for "Proof of driving band" then the stake marks or lines would still be visible after firing, Idid have a good example but it looks like I never took a photo of it (big slap on the wrist for me).

With the lettering being under the paint and that paint looks like it may be the standard Matte black 2 pack paint used by ROF's I suspect the round is still "proof of something" but have no idea what that "something" may be ???

Unless the person who does the proof firings of such items is on this site I fear we may never know the real answer.

Thanks for taking the time to do the pictures-good camera and photographer I see!

 

[navyman]

Hello Chris,
Thanks for looking at the pics for me. Looks like the plot will have to be left to thicken unless someone else notices this thread?
Nice compliment about the photography, truth is I did it with a 'cheapo' camera from Aldi's using a free energy saving lamp in an old anglepoise! Three cheers for Aldi...
All best,
Guy.

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Good camera and photographer

Hello Chris,
Thanks for looking at the pics for me. Looks like the plot will have to be left to thicken unless someone else notices this thread?
Nice compliment about the photography, truth is I did it with a 'cheapo' camera from Aldi's using a free energy saving lamp in an old anglepoise! Three cheers for Aldi...
All best,
Guy.

Expensive does not guarantee better pictures as it is all to do with the person setting it up and pushing the button-nice pics and thanks for sharing them all with us.
As you say it may be one of those things we never find out about-but at least it has been saved for posterity in your collection.