Some AP Cartridges Plus one

[wolfganggross]

Some recent armour piercing cartridges plus one.

.

From top to bottom:7.62x54r Silver Bear from Brunel factory #17 (non ap); 7.92x57 British steel core, nickel steel jacket, headstamp K44/WIIZ, for Besa machine Gun; 7.92x57 British steel core, copper washed jacket, headstamp K44/WIIZ, for Besa machine gun; 7.92x57 German SMK steel core AP, headstamp 38/p315/s*/20 wolfgang

 

[TonyE]

Very nicely done Wolgang.

The normal terminology for the envelope material of the British rounds is cupro-nickel clad steel (CNCS) for the "silver" one and gilding metal clad steel (GMCS) for the copper coloured one. You will see that rather than being copper washed, the GMCS envelope is coated with gilding metal on both the inside and outside of the steel (as is the CN coating on the other one but it is less easily seen).

Regards
TonyE

 

[wolfganggross]

Thanks TonyE for the correction, for some reason have trouble remembering that. So used to saying copper washed steel for certain cases (ie: 7.62x39's). Any reason why they have two different jackets for the same round? wolfgang

 

[TonyE]

For virtually all British military bullet envelopes CN and GM were alternatives in the specification, whether as straight CN/GM or as in the case of AP bullets, CNCS/GMCS.so it depended on which was available to the factory at the time it was made.

In the case of your two BESA W Mark IIz from Kynoch in 1944, they were clearly made at diffrent times when different envelope materials were available.

Regards
TonyE

 

[raymeketa]

Wolfgang

You will find the same mix of jackets on the US bullets. Copper was always a scarce material and so jackets of either GM or GMCS were allowed. At times, it makes identification of cartridges a little tricky, especially those that were made during the short periods of time when transitioning from one standard to another. The M59 to the M80, for example, during 1959 and 1960.

Ray