What is this?

[EagleEyes]

Hi,
I picked this up a few months ago but I have no idea what you call it and what shell it belongs to.
If you can point me in the correct direction?

Markings:
QU
L10 A1 BN69
394 CY2/70

Dia: 27mm
Averall Height: 133mm
Base dia: 37mm
Base height: 6.5mm

Usage: L10 Electrical Primer for British 105mm L5 Pack Howitzer
Filled: ROF Chorley
Date: 1970
Model: L10

Cheers
Andy
www.ammobunker.co.uk

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

105 mm Primer!

It is a "Primer" Electric most likely used in a 105mm General Field Gun (GFD)
Such as the case below

 

[EagleEyes]

Cheers Chris,

I can only find the British L118 Light Gun - 105mm Towed Howitzer (105 mm How), the One O’clock gun at Edinburgh Castle.

This gun uses the L10 ordinance and the markings on the primer suggests it’s L10.

 

[glevum]

This primer is dated 1970 and so is probably from an Abbot.

The light gun did not go into service until 1976

 

[TonyE]

L10

It is not a fuze, it is a primer and as glevum states, it was made in 1970 and filled at ROF Chorley (CY). The L10A1 applies to the model of primer, not the gun it was used in.

Regards
TonyE

 

[EagleEyes]

L10 Electrical Primer

In service with the British Army:

from 1961 to 1973 the 105mm L5 Pack Howitzer used L10 ordnance.

from 1965 to 1995 the 105mm L109 Abbot Self-propelled gun used the L13 ordnance. Replaced by the 155mm AS-90.

from 1973 the 105mm L118 Light Gun - Towed Howitzer used L10

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Home produced cases from ROF Birtley

It is interesting to note that our "home produced" rounds by Birtley all had the American style "Push fit" primers-unless I am wrong about that ?

If memeory serves me correctly the light version of the 105mm How used the same cartridge cases as the modern 105mm Light Gun ?
Sadly I never managed to get an early "Howitzer" case for comparison.
See the case below.

 

[Falcon]

That case has an American style headstamp as well. I saw one of those cases at the car boot sale last year that had been used to make a boiler for a home made model steam engine.

 

[glevum]

I thought that the L5 Howitzer was precussion fired and used a different round to the L118 light gun

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Oh my!

That case has an American style headstamp as well. I saw one of those cases at the car boot sale last year that had been used to make a boiler for a home made model steam engine.

Bloomin sacriligous if you ask me, that sort of thing always hacks me off and sadly is not confined to steam engine buffs as in one old building I used to work in had a door "gong" made out of 25mm Vickers cartridge cases that got bashed my a small hammer every time some one entered the building-they were so far gone as to be almost unidentifiable !
:tinysmile_angry2_t:

One of the steam enthusiasts at work asked me if I could spare a shell case for a boiler-I will not repeat my reply as it would offend !

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Perc/Elect for 105 light How ?

I thought that the L5 Howitzer was precussion fired and used a different round to the L118 light gun

Glevum you may be right but I have no info to check against.

Can someone here please clear this up to put us all out of our misery.

 

[Falcon]

Why is it always the good cases that get used for stuff like that?

Like the S-Gun case I saw last year at the car boot as well that had been made into trench art.

As for the door gong, you have to wonder why they could not have just used a 2 Pounder or something that is common.

 

[Falcon]

Back to the steam engine boiler, I suppose you could use it as a way to sell a case that has already been cut down.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

Chris' photo shows an M28A2 primer (percussion primer) as used in 105 mm Howitzer cases. The L10 primer (cap conducting type) was used in 105 mm Field gun cases. The only other type of electrical primer was the bridge wire type, the No. 22, used in the 6.5 inch AVRE. Other cap conducting primers were the L1 & L2 (105 mm Tank); the L3 (165 mm AVRE) and the L5 (used in 105 mm Tank and in 105 mm Field). I hope this helps.
In late 1980, newly qualified, I was sent to work on the depot's gas fired incinerator, destroying 200 rounds at a time of .303 inch ball. Sacrilege but there you go. I was also told to incinerate some L10A1 primers - `Just put one in and then when you hear a bang, put in the next one'. I thought the bangs made by the first two were relatively quiet but not knowing how loud they should have sounded, I thought all was going smoothly and put in a third. A couple of minutes later there was an almighty `BOOM' and the stainless steel chimney top blew off. Apparently it took several minutes for the magazine of a primer to warm up sufficiently to cook off the main filling, whereas the cap composition cooked off much more quickly and unbeknown to me, did not set off the magazine filling, because the pressure and flash vented rearwards with no breech to force it forwards.