13mm MG 131 XPL

[Caracal]

Hi,

just arrived, one of the prototype of the MG 131 munition:

-no belted
-special headstamp
-special projectile? (-> verification needed)

regards

 

[EODGUY]

Super, super round. Excellent headstamp. Thanks for posting this.

 

[EOD]

The projectile is a regular TP.

 

[Caracal]

The projectile is a regular TP.

can you explain why please? i can make detailed pic of it if you want

 

[EOD]

It is the standard TP projectile, noo pics needed, I had a doozen or so.

 

[EOD]

Here the projectile as it was used with the belted case.

 

[Tmine35]

Some types of Luftwaffe experimental cartridges were loaded with inert training projectiles only. This is understandable as use of a "real" projectile for weapon function tests would have been waste of money.
I don't know it and have no evidences but I assume that sometimes the training projectiles used may have been non-standard ones as well.

 

[Caracal]

Well this document does not really help us , this one is much more useful with all the measurements

Anyway, we don't know exactly as Tmin35 said which ones were used, this one is claimed to have been found with the case...

regards

 

[Tmine35]

I have a couple of different experimental cartridges with normal training projectiles that I think may be originally used in them ( dates match and so on ), but as experimentals are always experimentals one never knows.

 

[EOD]

Well this document does not really help us , this one is much more useful with all the measurements

Anyway, we don't know exactly as Tmin35 said which ones were used, this one is claimed to have been found with the case...

regards

I have seen those they were found with and they are exactly the ones which were in service with the belted case.
Where is the problem?

 

[Caracal]

there is no problem! i think we all have understood that you have seen them a lot of times etc...

now we are trying to know if a special projectile exists for this case or if they used only the common one.

 

[EOD]

So far only the standard TP ones have sown up.

 

[Tmine35]

I raised up the question of eventually used special training projectiles just because:
-When testing a new case type, if there was the same caliber in regular use already most likely standard TPs were utilized.
-Sometimes the experimental cartridges were made before a standard cartridge of the same caliber was in use and thus a standard TP most likely was not yet available.

I have a couple of different caliber experimental cartridges but as they all have been pulled and made inert ( not by me ) I don't know if their TP's were originally in these cases or added later on.

EOD, as you have seen more rounds in original condition, have you ever seen any other ( than the 13mm in question here ) calibers/case types with non-standard TP's?

As I said before I have no knowledge of this but am just curious.

 

[Caracal]

i am wondering now when the first 13mm TP standard round has arrived...1938 is the common date for the MG131, so why the standard TP could not be the first projectiles fitted on it? and AFTER became the standard one... maybe we just take the thing in the wrong side... maybe there is almost no difference between the experimental and the standard one...?

 

[Tmine35]

Fully agree with you Caracal, I just on side wonder that when such a number of different experimental casetypes exist - where there possibly also some experimental TPs for them?