What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

87mm identification

rigby

Well-Known Member
Hi,

i need detailed information about this cartridge.
Only what i know is the diameter 87mm.

Thanks
IMGP1295.JPG
 
Hello Rigby couldnt find much on this round ,so had to resort to wikipedia.
What you have is a 3.45 inch practice wallbuster round for the british 3.45in recoilless rifle.Hope this helps yoo a bit

The 3.45 inch RCL was built by the Broadway Trust Company, a company formed by Sir Dennis himself. Sir Dennis was privy to the design of the 20mm m/42, a recoilless rifle designed by the Swedish Carl Gustav company during World War 2, but it had little bearing on his work as the Carl Gustav was a large bore rifle design intended to remove the recoil experienced with anti-tank rifles such as the Boyes ATR or similar large calibre bolt-action rifles which required large cartridges to deliver high velocity rounds. The usefulness of anti-tank rifles was lost as tanks were built with much thicker armour during the war. Although Burney's designs did not have high muzzle velocities, this was negated by the shell being used which used explosive instead of speed and weight to defeat the armour.


Design
This was a weapon that could be fired from the shoulder, giving unrestricted traverse or elevation within the limits of the human frame, or mounted on a simple tripod. A portion of the propelling charge bled through holes in the cartridge wall and into a space around the breech and then backwards through four venturis. This counter blast backwards cancelled out the recoil.


[edit] Specification
Ordnance, RCL, 3.45in Mk 1

Weight: 75lb
Length: 68.55in
Barrel: 14.75 calibres
Muzzle velocity: 600 ft / minute
Range: 1,000 yards
Ammunition: Cartridge RCL, 3.45 inch WB (\"Wallbuster\")
Type: HESH
Propellant: 1 lb 2 oz cordite
Filling : plastic explosive
Weight: 16 lb 4 oz

The complete fixed round consists of a cartridge case pierced with holes in the walls,and a thin brass liner to protect the propellant,and a wallbuster shell..It used Base percussion fuze No299

Suggested reading
British & American Artillery of World War Two, by Ian V. Hogg


Post edited by: spotter, at: 2007/06/13 19:08
 
Last edited:
Many thanks Spotter. This are great information. Data about this cartridge is very hard to find. Thanks a lot.
 
Top