Original 1940/42 Bofors C219 Ammo box

[Darkman]

I bought this Bofors C219 ammo box last weekend on eBay for AU$10 (about 6.50). It was pick up only (which must have put a lot of people off) and in a small country town about an hour's drive north of Melbourne and about the same east of where I live. Looked good in the ad but I couldn't believe how good it was when I picked it up. Most of the original stencilling remains, except for one side half painted over in later colour army brown paint. The original labels are intact inside too. Filled at "CY" in 1942, can someone please confirm that this was ROF Chorley? Box was made by "CMC" which I see was Crittall Manufacturing Co, a steel window manufacturer. I have enough Bofors rounds to fill it but no cardboard containers, so I will try to make some up. Can anyone tell me the dimensions (inside and outside diameters and length) of the tubes? I thought the tubes had metal caps but I saw a picture of some tubes without caps. Does someone have any specification or drawings for the tube containers?

Cheers,

Graeme

 

[hangarman]

Hi Darkman,
CY is indeed Chorley, Lancashire. Its a cracking box, Whenever i have found boxes over there they are always weather beaten. Good luck on the hunt for tubes!
Hangarman

 

[Slick]

Graeme

A mighty fine box you got there. Nice find at a great price.

Rick

 

[LCplCombat]

Here's my C219 c/w cardboard tubes
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/27553-C.219?p=61016#post61016

Coloured Service Brown

L = 17 3/4"
OD = 2 9/16"
Wall thickness 1/4"

There is a rolled paper bung at the Projectile end which is 5" long and 5/16" thick fixed in with 3 x 3/4" staples at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions, nothing at 12 for some reason.

The paper spiral wrapping is 3 5/16" wide and wraps around 6 times.

At the opening for the base there are 2 half moons cutout to help release the round, 1/4" deep and 1 wide.

 

[Darkman]

Thanks LCPLCOMBAT,

Like your photos.

I understand what you mean by the internal reduction for the projectile.

Given that a 40mm case has a head diameter of about 2 7/16" and the case near the head is about 2 1/8", the case would be a snug fit in the tube and the head would not fit inside (confirmed in your photo where I can see the rim of a case sticking out the end of one tube), what protects the primer on the shell?

Also was there a securing strap across the tubes? There are 4 brackets on the inside of the box that look like some sort of attachment for retention.

I have found commercially available postal tubes that almost exactly match the external diameter and length (even the width of the spiral and number of turns!) but are thinner in wall thickness (1/16") so I may be able to adapt these.

Incidentally I notice the stencilling Ivor Ramsden of the Manx Museum got reproduced on his boxes incorrectly states the fuze as a No. 231 instead of 251.

Cheers,

Graeme

 

[Darkman]

I really just want to know what protects the primer on the exposed head of the shell sticking out the end of the tube.
Cheers.

 

[LCplCombat]

Nothing sticks out from the tube, its all contained within.

 

[Darkman]

Sorry LCplCombat, maybe I am thick, but I still don't get it. Am I missing something here?

With the tube diameter dimension you gave and with a 1/4" thickness, the head of the cartridge case won't fit inside the tube - as shown in your photo. Is the tube thickness reduced down at the head end to allow the whole case fit inside? (Would need to only be about 1/16" thick.)

Thanks,

Graeme

 

[LCplCombat]

If the tube is reversed the entire projectile up to the driving band will fit into the bottom end of the tube.