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3" mortar dummy bombs wooden?

C

cherryturbox

Active Member
hi, has anyone details of the dummy mortar bombs used when practicing using the 3" mortar, i have the tube and want 3 or 4 practice bombs or pictures of what they might have looked like to make some. any info would be great. thanks kevin. kevinpowles@btinternet.com
 
Have you actually seen or heard that wooden dummy rounds were used? My understanding is they used actual rounds because they needed to practice removing the safety cap and pulling the internal safety pin in the case of late war production fuzes. Also they needed to use rounds that approximated the weight so the timed routine could be practiced in terms of slow, normal and fast rates of fire.

Examples if practice rounds that I have seen had what looks like a large metal flat washer welded to the bottom of the tail unit. This prevented the fins from becoming damaged when the bomb shot out the ski jump fitting on the cut practice loading barrels.
 
cherryturbox said:
hi, has anyone details of the dummy mortar bombs used when practicing using the 3" mortar, i have the tube and want 3 or 4 practice bombs or pictures of what they might have looked like to make some. any info would be great. thanks kevin. kevinpowles@btinternet.com
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Hello, Pleas excuse my Impudence as a 'Newbie' here on the Forum.
But I would like to inject some hopefully helpfull information on this subject post.
As an Ex Service Armourer, I have been fortunate to have inspected & worked on a vast spectrum of NOn Service, as well as In servic e Weapons.
I can state from my expirience & interest as collector myself.
All Bombs I have examined, repaired & observed with the O.M.L 3" Mortar.
Have beeb Metal Drill rounds. Wood simply would not stand upto the rigours of Service usage. The fins MUST be metal to survice the striking of the ejection platform when using them in an APL Mortar (Apperatus,Practice,Loading)
The bodies also touch the wall of the inside of the barrel & would get scored & damaged quite quickly. Possibly causing a minor hand injusry to the user.
Ordanance such as Wombat 120mm, US 37mm A/Tank Gun rounds Etc, Etc are ok. The heads & base extrator rims are usualy metal & take the associated wear in these areas well. The main bodys barely touch the inside of the chambers as they are sighly undersize.
I hope this has been of some small value in your request for info on this topic?
kind Regards:Mike
 
3 " Drill Mortar

My Drill Mortar has a steel ring welded to the base of the fins. (Up for sale on Specialist Auctions soon!). Trevor
 

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3" Stokes

The 3 Inch Stokes had a wooden training version. However only the body was wood. The head and fins were steel connected by a steel rod. It has a FS insode a glass ball inserted prior to firing. I will post a picture of mine once I get some taken.

Other than that I havent seen any 3" wooden dummy rounds.

Joe
 
Hi Trevor nice Drill round ,i will look foward to seeing it on Specialist ,regards Dave
 
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