4.5" WW1 HE Projectile found yesterday

[Gspragge]

And yes it was a bloody lamp---- but at least not an 18pr lamp:xd:

There is the remanent of the drawing number on the upper body, nothing else.
It appears that the base was never marked or something would still show. So it's either
a wartime reject, or end of war left over. This one has a brass fuze adaptor so I presume
it's a different mark than the all steel bodies with the indents to stake the fuze. Can anyone
enlighten me on this ~ It was of course nickel plated but most of it is gone it seems, hence
the sides being some what smooth and shiny (hoping it will dull down a touch). It had a shipping plug in it that had been drilled
through to hold a threaded rod for the lamp fitting. This at least saved the threads
in the fuze adaptor.

 

[Gspragge]

Here are both of my 4.5" , The dark one is 1917 and a MKVll , what mark is the
other ?

 

[Burney Davis]

Are the projectiles exactly the same height? The Mk VII was produced with the fuze pocket cut directly into the steel but could also be made with a brass fuze bush of 2" gauge. Normally such a modification would attract a new mark but apparently not in the case of the mark VII.

The mark VII should measure 13.26 inches and if the other one is shorter (which it looks in the picture) it could be a Mark XI at 12.26 inches or a Mark XIV at 12.2 inches.

 

[MINENAZ16]

Are the projectiles exactly the same height? The Mk VII was produced with the fuze pocket cut directly into the steel but could also be made with a brass fuze bush of 2" gauge. Normally such a modification would attract a new mark but apparently not in the case of the mark VII.

The mark VII should measure 13.26 inches and if the other one is shorter (which it looks in the picture) it could be a Mark XI at 12.26 inches or a Mark XIV at 12.2 inches.

Modification of fuze thread did not attract a new mark on ww1 british shells (lot of examples on diagrams).
This one could be Mk V (found examples with brass fuze socket on ww1 battlefields). Length : 13.15in/13.37in.
Could be also MkVII (13.04in/13.26in) etc...

For example 4.5in HE MKV

 

[37patt]

I have what looks like the exact same one. It too started life as a chromed lamp base, had a place in Ottawa remove the chrome.

It measures 13 1/8 inches or 336 mm

Minenaz16, with that much tolerance in the maximum and minimum lengths between the different marks is there any other way to determine which one it could be if there is nothing stamped on the base?

 

[Gspragge]

Mine measure ;
Unmarked brass bushing 13 2/32"
1917 all steel 13 7/32"
So both are MK Vlls