Old proof and test equipment

[AMMOTECHXT]

Earlier this month there was a celebration of 100 years of the UK Ammunition Technician trade (originally "Ammunition Examiner" (AE) but AT for the last 60 or so years). The photos show some old proof and test equipment that was on display. I was aware of some of those things but never used them while I was in service, although I used an Exploder Dynamo Condenser (EDC - about the size and weight of an old 12 V car battery) before the introduction of the Shrike Exploder in the early 1980s. The last item - the copper oven - was apparently from the Army Apprentices' College, Chepstow, which closed for AT training in the mid 1980s. I do not know what the items are in the first and third photos - answers, please, on a postcard. That in the second photo has a card with it but the card does not explain the purpose of the sieves. The 4th photo is an early 20th century blasting machine (Exploder Dynamo Condenser I guess). The last two photos show a copper oven used for calculation of the moisture content of gunpowder.

 

[John P]

I'm not 100% sure but if I recall correctly from my time in Proof & Dems at Kineton I think the sieve set was for checking the size of GP

 

[TimG]

Although the oven came from Chepstow, it was rescued from RNPF (Royal Navy Propellant Factory) Caerwent when it closed in the mid 60s. Caerwent is about 5 miles west of Chepstow.

TimG