Vasco Da Gama
Well-Known Member
Thanks to Alpini's previous contributions when this case turned up I bought it in the hope it was an example of the separate loading cartridge case for the FK 96 a/A, old pattern. It is 133mm long, rim 91mm and mouth 98mm, made in 1898. My understanding is that this was the case for the FK 96 without a full recoil system, spade only. Post the emergence of the French 75mm in 1897 this gun was immediately obsolete. When redesigned with a recoil system it became the new pattern FK96 using fixed ammunition with a cartridge case length of 227mm of which we are very familiar. The case of that length pictured is one of the original a/A cases reworked to the new length, these cases feel much lighter than the far more common later produced examples which have the St strengthened marking. The last case pictured is the 100mm blank or manoeuvre case which I think was used in both versions. Having not seen an example of this case I thought to post a couple of pictures of the family group.
