Horchkiss wound case

[Birdseye]

I picked this up in Baltimore. It is a relic condition wound Hotchkiss case for a 1.65" round.

The early Hotchkiss reounds had casings where the brass was wound on a form and somehow mystically made to stay together. A separate head was then affixed.

In the present example, the head has fallen off, the brass has cracked and had begun to unwind. Other than that, it is in mint condition

I just thought of something that is a bit of a poser.

I was under the impression that these early cases were all friction primed (see b/w drawing). This case appears to have the same internal configuration as the 2-piece percussion primed Frankford Arsenal Case (compare to the 4th picture).

So wound cases were percussion primed?

Thoughts?

 

[Birdseye]

Could a mod please change the spelling of "Horchkiss" to "Hotchkiss"?

Thank you.

 

[Birdseye]

I gently cleaned the base of this casing and could not see any evidence of a primer pocket, whatsoever. That means that this case was friction primed.

Also came across the manufacturer's mark.

Original Paris manufacture.

 

[2pounder]

wound case

Very nice 'find' I would'nt mind some relics like this! I'm particularly looking for a 5.3cm one.
2pr

 

[Birdseye]

Very nice 'find' I would'nt mind some relics like this! I'm particularly looking for a 5.3cm one.
2pr

Actually it was a present. I had bought a number of good condition 1.65 rounds (in my never ceasing quest to figure out what the production details were) and the guy threw this in.

I am sort of thinking that maybe I ought to clean the powder out and clean off the crystallization but if I did, I might end up with a piece of wound tin foil, know what I mean?

 

[shelldude]

Spiral wrapped casing

Here is an example of an early 1.65-inch Hotchkiss spiral wrapped friction primer casing. The PD nose fuzed common projectile is unmarked except for the Hotchkiss stamped emblem on the fuze tip.