I am going to make a couple of assumptions on this one because it has escaped identification for years. I am going to assume it is American because of the REMINGTON UMC No.3 "shotshell" in the base. I am also going to assume it is a mortar type projectile because of the "shotshell" and the side openings in the tail section. From there, the assumptions stop and confusion begins. The body is a cast steel with four elongated machined surfaces for bore-riding. The copper band is of a slightly smaller diameter than the major diameter of the body. It appears to be more of an expanding gas check than a rotating band. There is a flat circular "plug" in the nose. There are four long fins cast as part of the tail section. Inside the base is a tan-bodied "shotshell", which I assume (their I go again) is the ignition cartridge. The overall length is about 11 3/8 inches. The copper band is about 5/8 inch. It is 3 inches in diameter. There are no markings at all and no apparent break in the body/tail section where it would come apart. If there are any hidden breaks, they are corroded closed over the years beause I have tried to separate various sections. I have exhausted every reference and museum in the US I could think of and have zero information on it. I thought I would offer up the challenge to this knowledgeable group.
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Unknown Mortar??
- Thread starter EODGUY
- Start date
Unknown mortar
Good, very good challenge !
First idea on first seing, couldn't be a practice subcal mortar ?
Good, very good challenge !
First idea on first seing, couldn't be a practice subcal mortar ?
Good guess, but I don't know. It is a fairly crudely made thing. The casting is rough and the surface has a lot of small air pocket or casting mold cavities. I can't zero in on the age, but it is old. If pinned in a corner, I would GUESS it to be early 1900's manufacture. I do not collect shotshells, but I don't think they have made that size item in many years and years. Also don't collect mortar rounds, per se, and have little information on the early rounds or weapons. It would be a macho mortar system if this is the subcal because of its size and weight.