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PIAT Practice Solid Shot

Lucky you to have a live firing piat. You can still get live piat cartridges, they are still about, collectors deactivate them. Not sure if they are filled to the top but don't exceed cartridge space of powder, the powder is most probably slow burning Balistite as found in 2" Mortar cartridges the Canadian equivalent is Hercules 81mm powder. In the 2" mortar cartridge a small black powder charge is used to help ignite the balistite, I believe it's difficult to fully burn with an ordinary shotgun primer, I doubt the piat cartridge uses this method. The cartridge itself is basically a rimless two piece 12bore cartridge with brass cap that stays in the round and the other part that holds the primer ejects out of the gun in front of the firing position, I believe this bit was dangerous to the operator. If you used a lighter projectile and a black powder filled empty piat cartridge as a measure I reckon it would work.. First I would check out the guys at Knob Creek in the US and see if anyone uses one there, I bet someone has one that they play with they have all sorts. If you do get to fire it post a video, that will be fun to watch.
 
Lucky you to have a live firing piat. You can still get live piat cartridges, they are still about, collectors deactivate them. Not sure if they are filled to the top but don't exceed cartridge space of powder, the powder is most probably slow burning Balistite as found in 2" Mortar cartridges the Canadian equivalent is Hercules 81mm powder. In the 2" mortar cartridge a small black powder charge is used to help ignite the balistite, I believe it's difficult to fully burn with an ordinary shotgun primer, I doubt the piat cartridge uses this method. The cartridge itself is basically a rimless two piece 12bore cartridge with brass cap that stays in the round and the other part that holds the primer ejects out of the gun in front of the firing position, I believe this bit was dangerous to the operator. If you used a lighter projectile and a black powder filled empty piat cartridge as a measure I reckon it would work.. First I would check out the guys at Knob Creek in the US and see if anyone uses one there, I bet someone has one that they play with they have all sorts. If you do get to fire it post a video, that will be fun to watch.

Definitely will post it, going to have to check it out properly when I get it to make sure it is not damaged at all. Here in canada because they were made before 1945 they are not controlled goods and we dont have the destructive device rating they do in the US. Only issue is finding info on it, alot of places talk about it but none in technical detail.
 
Figured Id post a few pics of the new toy. Enjoy. (I removed the material to clean it and make new repro ones.20170905_212059.jpg20170905_193802.jpg
 
Were the bodies of these practice rounds stenciled up, did the body have metal stamp markings as well.
 
Does anyone have the dimensions for these projectiles? I made a test one to test out some cartridges but once I finish that I'd like to make one that fits my PIAT properly so that I can get some trigger time on her. Right now the tube I'm using is far from Ideal, it should work but it is thinner than the original one and wont last very long. Buddy of mine is willing to help machine the round for me but I will need exact dimensions to do it. Thanks in advance.
 
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