need help with 30mm (?) link identification

[MissingLink]

I picked up a small bag of these links the other day, and the only identifier on the bag was, "30 WECOM." I'm aware of the WECOM testing 30mm cartridges for helicopter use, but I've never seen pictures of the links used. Can anyone here positively identify these as such or know where else they're used?

They seem to fit well on 30x113B as far as the diameter of the cartridge, but there's lots of room under the clip near the extractor groove.

-WRM

 

[HAZORD]

The 30mm WECOM is a shorter round, but it is about the same size as the rounds you show. The rounds you are showing are 30mm DEFA which is the gun used in the Apache. 30mm WECOM was a proposed round that was evaluated but not accepted for service. Your links are only used on the WECOM.

 

[MissingLink]

So, these are definitely WECOM links? I can't seem to find any pictures (in manuals, publications or otherwise) that show the links.

-WRM

 

[HAZORD]

I'll have to look at what I have and compare to what you have shown. I was just assuming that since the bag said WECOM that they were. You don't really see photos of the WECOM stuff because they didn't make it into service inventory.

 

[kahu1]

They look suitable for a revolver cannon,though i've never seen link for the WECOM cannons.
Quit possibly for the WECOM 30mm.

 

[MissingLink]

A member on another forum provided me with the attached picture; it clearly shows my links lying on the ground next to a WECOM XM30:



-WRM

 

[Tony Williams]

Here's a (translated Italian) site on the XM30 weapon system, which included the XM140 gun firing the 30x100B WECOM ammo: http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...0-xm52-xm120-armament-subsystems/&prev=search

 

[SG500]

The first photo shows from left to right:
Wecom early development round, as referred to on the link that Tony supplied above. I've not managed to track down one apart from this dummy version which has a solid projectile and hollow "case" section.
2 x standard 30 x 100 wecom dummy rounds.
30mm as used in the Apache, note the differing lengths as mentioned by Hazord above.

The remaining photos show different aspects of the rim and grooves to the wecom and apache rounds. The rim of the straight sided wecom case is particularly thick.

All INERT.

Dave.

 

[bdgreen]

30 x 100mmB WECOM dummy cartridge and belt link. I can find no markings on the link.

Brian

 

[bdgreen]

Dave,

Great to see an actual example of the WECOM prototype cartridge.

Brian

 

[SG500]

Dave,

Great to see an actual example of the WECOM prototype cartridge.

Brian

Thanks. This one came with another identical one from an old collection (ex Henk Visser). Pete de Coux sold a brass cased round a few years back but I've not seen any others.

Dave.

 

[MissingLink]

Thanks for all the great info; I really appreciate it! Does anyone have drawings of the WECOM cartridge (or 30x113 for that matter), (cartridge case, projo or complete dummy)? Until I can source 5 WECOM cartridges, I can machine some dimensionally accurate replicas to fill the links I have. (stamped as reproductions, of course).

-WRM

 

[kahu1]

They are not uncommon, you should be able pick up at least 1,and copy that,though there are many variations of dummy WECOM carts.

 

[SG500]

Thanks for all the great info; I really appreciate it! Does anyone have drawings of the WECOM cartridge (or 30x113 for that matter), (cartridge case, projo or complete dummy)? Until I can source 5 WECOM cartridges, I can machine some dimensionally accurate replicas to fill the links I have. (stamped as reproductions, of course).

-WRM

Here's one that looks fairly cheap on your side of the pond.

Dave.

http://collectibleammunition.com/product.php?s=dummy-cartridge-30mm-cmo-1-3

 

[MissingLink]

Here's one that looks fairly cheap on your side of the pond.

Dave.

http://collectibleammunition.com/product.php?s=dummy-cartridge-30mm-cmo-1-3

Thank you very much! I've been looking all over for one without any luck. So, I tried to order 5 of them, but he apparently only had 3 (that was all I was allowed to order). I tried to order one from big-ordnance.com, but I don't think the page is active anymore.

-WRM

 

[MissingLink]

Look what just showed up:



Thanks again for the heads-up! Now, I just need to find 2 more... As far as dummy/drill rounds go, were there any other variations? A pic posted earlier in this thread showed a raw aluminum (silver) dummy; any others?

-WRM

 

[HAZORD]

Those are nice dummy rounds. I've never seen a solid aluminum dummy in WECOM before. Usually see the blue bullet in brass case variety.

 

[kahu1]

I've got one like those, i don't think its aluminium as it is starting to crack!.
Maybe some sort of pot metal?

 

[MissingLink]

I've got one like those, i don't think its aluminium as it is starting to crack!.
Maybe some sort of pot metal?

Can I see a pic of it? The only ones I've seen were either blue aluminum, brass-cased XM193's or that silver aluminum one in this thread.

ETA: Now that I look at it more, that silver one earlier in the thread looks like it might have been anodized blue at one time...or is it just me?

-WRM

 

[MissingLink]

Not that I had any doubts at this point, but I've positively ID'd the link as a XM23 used on the XM140 WECOM 30 cannon. A few days ago, I contacted Picatinny Arsenal in NJ asking for copies of several blueprints for various metal links. I received about 25 of them in my email yesterday (at a cost of about $2.75USD each), and one of them was the print for this link.

Some of the info I requested either couldn't be located or was unavailable for public release, but a good number of them I was able to get. So, if you're into documentation or just need some help identifying something, it's another possible route you might be able to take.

-WRM