When is a crap 18pr no longer Rubbish ~

[Gspragge]

When it's the Runt of the Litter :tinysmile_eyebrow_t
I paid little attention to this, polished,plated,
hole through the base as a lamp (didn't damage the top though).
Then I noticed that it was shorter than a similar sad specimen -
Well, it may be a scarse one, it comes in at 9 1/4" which appears
to match the last one or two on the page of Mks of these.
There is visible a number 18 part of the date so it is
1918 manufacture. 1918 examples don't seem to show up ?
Thoughts anyone -
Now I'm trying to clean off the rest of the old plating,
I think 99% or more of the markings are lost.

 

[kiwieod]

if you take it to a chrome plating place they can reverse the process and get the chrome off,hopefully leaving some markings intact

 

[Darkman]

Gordon,

It will be a Mk XII short shell, they are usually 1917/18 dated. The short shells used the heavyweight (all brass) No. 80 Mk VI and Mk VII fuzes.

Late war dated Mk XII shrapnel shells are the most common found in Australia. I guess they were the ones lying around at the end of the war that soldiers bought back as souvenirs.

Graeme

 

[Gspragge]

It's the first one I've found here, left over and never shipped likely. I can't see any being brought back. The plating
is mostly off, but the body has some rust damage so I'll keep at it with some metal sandpaper and clean it up.
I don't see signs of more markings having survived. I wonder if any MK XVl were made here ?

 

[Darkman]

Mk XVI shrapnel shells are generally dated in the 1920s. The Canadian army would still have been equipped with 18 Pr guns then, so I don’t see why you wouldn’t find Canadian made Mk XVI and XVII shells there

 

[HAZORD]

When the U.S. was manufacturing 18 Pdr projos for the WWI war effort, they cut solid bar stock to length, and bored out the inside for the filler.

The process is illustrated in manufacturing books of the day.

 

[Darkman]

When the U.S. was manufacturing 18 Pdr projos for the WWI war effort, they cut solid bar stock to length, and bored out the inside for the filler.

The process is illustrated in manufacturing books of the day.

That's an unusual manufacturing process for 18 Prs. They were mostly forged in documentation I have. And for the earlier marks, after the pusher plate was inserted they were heated and forged again to cone over the mouth. (I think on shell marks prior to Mk XII the pusher plate diameter was larger than the mouth opening).

 

[HAZORD]

I didn't read much of the process, but photos show 10-15 sticks of bar stock amassed in a big vise, with a large circular saw blade with metal cutting teeth cross-cutting the bars. The book also shows the machining set-ups for adding the features to the blanks.

I will look for one of my copies to add to the discussion.

 

[Gspragge]

I have most of the plating off, it's a bit shiny from sanding the surface while spiinning it on a turntable.
The only worthwhile markings are on the base.
I only so far have found only ww1 or ww2 area projectles. But anything
may yet appear. Most of what shows up is dated 1917 and back.
I may have another go at it to get the last of the plating off, then it needs to dull down.

I could perhaps paint it black, less offending that way perhaps ~

 

[Darkman]

Any unfired 18 Pr shrapnel is a good one. I think it will look great painted black with the 2 red bands and a Mk VII brass fuze. Put it in a 1918 dated case and you’ll have a very nice late war round.