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L1A4 Vent tube

Falcon

Well-Known Member
I have a vent tube in the style of the Challenger tank vent tube, but it is dated 1979, which is too early for the Challenger. Which gun system used this?

I posted this in projectiles because I didn't really know where else to put it.

The headstamp is: RG PZ 79 L1A4
 
Picture please !

Hi Falcon, any chance of a picture as that may just reveal something ?
Cheers

Chris :tinysmile_shy_t:
 
This tube's dimesnsions, case material (brass) and primer are all identical to the one used in the gun on the challenger, it is only the date that is a bit early.
 
Pre production ?

Interesting Falcon as it is an early date as you say !

The only thing I could think of was that it might be an early pre-production item but then it would have either had no headstamp or an experimental one ie XL1E4 or similar ?
Cannot think of any other weapon of the era that used this vent tube.

Thanks for the reply.

Chris :tinysmile_shy_t:
 
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used with the chieftain
attatched image shows my example marked L1A4 RG 81
 

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Thanks Spotter.

Does anyone have any idea what the "PZ" on mine stands for?

Isn't there also a larger one of these for use with an earlier gun system?
 
Electric ?

Falcon
May be a silly question but, your version is an electric contact firing circuit round ?
PZ may be "Piezo" which is why I ask if it is electrically initiated the same as the standard cases ?

Chris :tinysmile_shy_t:
 
I have one with headstamp L1A4 RG 76 ZW.
Also a picture of the magazine that held these.
 

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I also wondered if "PZ" was "peizo", but then remembered I had seen other letters.

Interesting photo of the magazine weasel.

Does anyone have any idea how these look when they are live, can anyone post a cutaway drawing of one?

Also, could anyone post a photo of the breech block on the Challenger gun where the device that fires these will be?
 
I dont have a drawing of the L1A4 but i do have one of the L4A2 similar set up but 2 part construction
 

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Thanks spotter, I was most interested in how they are closed. Is that one slightly smaller than the L1A4? It syas "13mm" on the drawing, and the OD of mine is 16.4mm,

Thinking about it, I think these would be legal to posess live, as they are a blank cartridge of less than 1" Calibre.
 
heres some 76 dated zz in 78 packing .:wink:
 

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1 inch = 25.4mm
13mm = 0.511811024 inches
so 13mm is just over half an inch
 
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