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Yellow Mortar ID

bacarnal

Ordnance Approved/Premium
Ordnance approved
Just spotted this on Ebay. I have NO information on it other than it is yellow and has a brass fuze, is 11" OAL, and if that follows, by the pix is either 47mm-50mm dial. Any ideas?

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Bruce, It's a mortar shell from American Armament Corp, that somewhat shady company in the 1930s and early 1940s set up to sell munitions to primarily South and Central American countries. They also made sales to the Dutch East Indies and a few others but don't think our Government ever bought from them. I think it's their 60mm size shell.
 
Thanks, Rick. I've had several of their 37mm's in the past and a 47mm mortar (sand fins), but this one didn't look like the pix I had of the 47mm or their 52mm. Since I haven't seen them here on the forum, I'm speculating that they are highly uncommon. Would I be right?

As soon as I get it in, I'll post pix. Cheers, Bruce.
 
The 47mm mortar shells, like the one you got at SOS, had spot welded fingers on the tail. The 52mm types were constructed like that, too.

The 60mm and 81mm types had the forged tail fin features and looked very similar to each other. Attached is a photo of a page from an AAC catalog from the 1930s (no actual date printed in the catalog) for their 81mm offering. I've never seen one of the 105mm mortar shells they supposedly made, either in person or photo.

Yes, all of them are scarce. I think I have seen 3 or 4 of the 60mm types over the years.

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Well, she came in today. 2.36" on the nose. 60mm it is. 10.25" OAL. Body is totally cast construction. Brass fuze still has the bore riding pin and setback detent, but is otherwise empty. Thanks all.

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I did not know that American Armaments did mortars until this thread. I saw that round on ebay and did not know what to think of it. Thank you.
 
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