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short aden

smle2009

smle2009

Well-Known Member
Hi all,
picked this 30 mm case up at Ypres market this weekend(yes I got made to go shopping!) the case lenght is 86mm,there are no markings on the head or rim/groove,can anyone give any information on these"short Adens"?Also looking for a projectile for it now,any help will be greatly appreciated
photo with "normal lenght" Aden for scale ect!
Cheers Tony
 

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Hi Dave,
Thanks for that,sorry to be a pain but I have not long started to collect "bigger stuff" so know very little about them,what was the reason for the short case? LV?(low velocity?),any ideas where I would find a projectile
Cheers Tony
 
The Aden LV (low velocity) 30x86B was very nearly a straight copy of the Mauser MG 213C's 30x85B. The British basically took over the MG 213C and its ammo (which were at the prototype stage at the end of WW2), lock, stock and barrel, and just fiddled with them a bit before introducing the original Aden cannon. Muzzle velocity was just over 600 m/s with a 273g projectile.

The French did the same with the DEFA 540 series, except that their case length was 97mm (the overall length of all of the Aden/DEFA rounds remained at 199mm regardless of case length). This pushed up the velocity to 670 m/s.

Then in the mid-1950s the British and French decided that the MV had to be higher to improve the hit probability so they got together and agreed on a 113mm case length (Aden Mk 4 and DEFA 550 series), although British ones are often 111mm. However, they are mostly not interchangeable for various technical reasons. MV is about 800 m/s (the DEFAs seem to be loaded a bit hotter than the Adens).

You don't often find the projectiles separate from the cases but you'll know when you've got the right one, since when inserted into the case down to the driving band, the overall cartridge length should be about 199mm.
 
Many thanks Tony,
never knew that all Adens had the same overall lenght regardless of case lenght! that some projectile I have to find!(would have put any Aden projectile in it if you hadn't told me!)
Cheers Tony
 
Tony (smle2009) I've had a root around in the spares box and come up with this one.
Its fired.
Has RG stamped on the alloy cap.
You can have it for a tenner if you want it.
Find an unfired one for that sort of money and you'll be well lucky.
No worries if you don't want it.
Dave.
 

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Hi Dave,
Thanks for the links,and thank you very much for finding a projectile for me,a big yes please have sent PM
Cheers Tony
 
30mm. ADEN H.V.

Hi, just a couple of facts - Production of H.E. Mk.3z & Prac. Mk.2z ammn. commenced in December, 1954 at ROF.Swn. A'' lot'' represents 10,000 filled rounds. Problems with ''bullet pull'' and ''air tightness'' experienced in early days - mean pull not less than 1500 lb and no single rd. less than 1200 lb. The ''air tightness'' has to be over 87.5% for acceptance. Unable to satisfy requirements and investigations began by DOF and ARDE into indenting using ''Metal dog tag" method & ''Rubber ring'' indenting. lnterim report issued in April,1955. Regards, RonB.
 
Hi Ron,
many thanks for the info,to think on Saturday I only thought it looked like a Aden,paid 3 euros for it, now I have learnt so much about it and close to having it complete again!
Cheers Tony
 
Thought some of you might like to see the 30x86B Aden now that it's back together & happy again! Thanks to SG500 for the projectile & thanks to Tony Williams for info & amazing site from which I found the correct colour for the projectile.
Cheers Tony
 

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Good effort Tony, looks a lot better now.
Glad to see you're on the slippery slope of cannon round collecting...........what's next?
Dave.
 
Thanks Dave & Dano,think it will look better when the brass dulls down a bit...whats next? have got my eye on a 35mm Oerlikon that is on the W.W.A. site,two problems though,it is over the 30mm limit I set myself,the other is I'm not sure if the projectile is original,they do have a habit of mixing repro with original and forgeting to mention it!!! think I need someone to look at it for me?...the 30mm limit? already messed that one up with 37mm baton rounds!...40 mm perhaps? now we are in the bofors area...think I need A drink
Cheers Tony
 
37mm

The baton rounds are just too cool to pass up on, I don't care what you collect. they have a space in any ordnance collection. I have a hard time seeing the humanitarian angle on these. Are the L2A2 rounds semi common over there?? My rule before joining BOCN was WWI only. Well that one fell by the wayside....Dano
 
Hi Dano
even L5A4's(1.5") seem to be harder to find now,there are a lot of L21AI & L60A1's on the market over here now,cheap too!
Cheers Tony
 
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