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18 Pr HE shell maker?

Darkman

Well-Known Member
A friend has this 18 Pr HE Mk III shell dated 26.1.16 with maker MA Ltd. I’m trying to determine if this is another Australian made shell as numerous others dated 1916 are over here. It could well be British or Canadian too. I’ve not heard of MA Ltd before on an Australian made shell, and it won’t be Lithgow small arms factory (MA).
Thanks for any help. Graeme
 

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hello
it's strange, I remember a way to identify the 18 Pr read in a book.
The 18 Pr Mk 2 has a throat at the warhead and a stop screw for the fuze.
The 18 Pr Mk 3 has a throat at the warhead and stop notches for the fuze.
On the photo it is a Mk 3 with a stop screw, strange... Does anyone have information on the identification of the different Mk .....
 
hello
it's strange, I remember a way to identify the 18 Pr read in a book.
The 18 Pr Mk 2 has a throat at the warhead and a stop screw for the fuze.
The 18 Pr Mk 3 has a throat at the warhead and stop notches for the fuze.
On the photo it is a Mk 3 with a stop screw, strange... Does anyone have information on the identification of the different Mk .....

I’ve seen Mk III HE’s with both a stepped lip at the mouth (to allow a No. 80/44 fuze skirt to screw down when used in an AA role), and with the 3 notches to allow fuze staking. Both types also have a set screw to lock the fuze from memory.
 
hello
it's strange, I remember a way to identify the 18 Pr read in a book.
The 18 Pr Mk 2 has a throat at the warhead and a stop screw for the fuze.
The 18 Pr Mk 3 has a throat at the warhead and stop notches for the fuze.
On the photo it is a Mk 3 with a stop screw, strange... Does anyone have information on the identification of the different Mk .....

Official drawing of 18pr HE MkIII shows a top screw to lock the fuze (the shell could be fitted with an adapter - method of repair of defective fuze hole- also with a screw for the fuze).
 
The difference between the MkII and MkIII HE shell was that the MkIII had a different driving band. Both Mks II and III had fixing screws. Paragraph 18646 in 1917 List of Changes refers.


.
 

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