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US 37mm AA gun

Rrickoshae

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
another handbook, this time American and very similar to a 40mm Bofors. Sadly, no colour plates so I have included a few shells for good measure. Strangely, the handbook shows the use of both rimmed and rebated cases. Perhaps one of our colonial friends can explain. Following experience in the field, the US changed its colour for HE from yellow to green. Dave
 

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AA munitions, some pages I have

I think the M63 types and long AP would be for the A.T. gun, too long for the AA feed ? I an surprized the rimmed M16 case is listed for the AA gun.
 

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37mm A.T. Gun loadings

and Tank guns etc.
 

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M54 projectile, M56 fuse, M17 case

This post should perhaps be in Projectiles, but to keep the thing going here it is.
This is a Drab M54 projectile with a Blue painted M56 fuse,
Projectile is marked faintly in yellow ;
AMM LOT , LOP, 16-1 / 37G, INERT, M-54
rotating band; O.W.S. - 1 - 40 1943 - 37MM M54
Fuse is marked;
Fuse PD M56, 7-43 LOT LOP 145, ink marks (unclear) ???? M56 LOT LOP 3-16
Case; Sand filled for weight-
Ink stamped INERT on the side
Headstamp;
37MM M17
B (in diamond) B B - 1 - 51 - 1943 Ord. Corps stamp.
Primer;
M38 B2, LOP - 2 - 17 - 44
 

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The rimmed 37mm rounds were used in the anti-tank gun and also in the M3-M5 Stuart light tank guns. It was also used in the top turret of the M3 Grant/Lee medium tanks. They were single loaded, not automatic.
The rimless rounds were for the AA guns and were also used in the U.S. Bell P-39 Aircobra and Bell P-63 fighters.
On another site it was mentioned that research had shown that almost all the 37mm rimless requested and received by the Soviets for use with their lend-lease P-39s and P-63s were the high explosive rounds not the A.P. rounds as expected for tank busting.
 
Hi Rickoshea,
Thanks for posting the pics and for the info on the US changing the colour of its HE projectiles from yellow to green. I have often wondered if one of mine had been repainted the wrong colour as it was green but there is my answer. Thanks again,
Best Weasel.
 
hi Weasel, i believe I'm right in saying that it was the US habit of hanging grenades from there breast pockets that instigated the change as the japanese used the yellow target near the heart as an aiming point! So I guess that yellow would be right for dates up to late 42 then green. Dave
 
many thanks for that Max, I'll have to read the manual end to end to see if hidden away in the narrative is an explanation. Dave
 
The rimmed 37mm rounds were used in the anti-tank gun and also in the M3-M5 Stuart light tank guns. It was also used in the top turret of the M3 Grant/Lee medium tanks. They were single loaded, not automatic.
The rimless rounds were for the AA guns and were also used in the U.S. Bell P-39 Aircobra and Bell P-63 fighters.
On another site it was mentioned that research had shown that almost all the 37mm rimless requested and received by the Soviets for use with their lend-lease P-39s and P-63s were the high explosive rounds not the A.P. rounds as expected for tank busting.

The 37mm rounds that were used in the P-39 and P-63 were the 37mm M4 which had a shorter less bottle necked case see the 37mm 145r.

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/WW2aircart2.jpg
 
37mm US

I've got a case 37x201R very similar to the M16 case but shorter at the shoulder and neck, marked 37 MM S A GUN AMERICAN ARMAMENT CORP. NEW YORK -USA the primer has W 17 on it. anyone got a picture or drawing of the shell please? Thanks
 
These are the AA projectiles

These are not mine.
 

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Hi this may be of interest, apologies for the quality, you should just be able to read it.

Dave.
 

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This ones a close up of the fuze.
Dave.
 

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American Armaments Co

I have the whole article, before I post it I have to get permission, was published in the International Ammunition journal, written by Fred Butt.
 
37mm AAC info

Thanks for the above info on AAC rounds seen nothing like them before, the case I have has a shell as in the 2 photos, thought it wasn't correct but what is it? Dont think its made up as it has a LH thread which would be too much trouble for a dummy.
 

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To myself!! info for others, I have identified the above shell as M63 type USA sub cal.
What a super tool the search facility is, just allow plenty of time to go thru it all even when the correct search words are used. Thanks to all who posted info on 37mm.
 
KingCobra

The KingCobra an enlarged Airacobra was armed with the arial version of the AA gun, but wether these were supplied to the Russian with that gun I'm not sure, will check. The 2000 FPS of the 37x145r case loading likely meant that the M80 solid shot was rather ineffective in the M4 & M10 guns. The M9 gun firing the much more powerful AA round would have been much better at 2800 FPS. -- Some where in Projectiles I show the types for the M4 & M9 guns.
 

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M63

Your projectile is the M63 HE type for the rimmed M16 case, used in the 37mm tank and AT guns. It was also used in the 37x92r case as a subcaliber practice round painted blue. It was too long to feed in the automatic cannon. As HE it would be yellow until 1943 when it would be green, you can only tell if yours was a subcal if you can find traces of blue paint. Rounds that are made with out the groove in the rotating ban are subcal for sure. See attachment for from U.S. manual.
 

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M4 Auto Gun and M9 Auto Gun

The M4 fires the 37x145r rounds (M10 is the same but set up for disintegrating links left or right hand feed)

The M9 fires the M17 cased rounds, basically the AA gun modified for arial mounting.
 

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