Japanese Primer or What???

[BBMAN]

Gentlemen,

I am at a loss with this item. I would like to draw upon the knowledge of this group to help me identify this . The item has the characteristics of a Tube Vent Sealing Percussion Primer BUT… it is threaded AND it has the square protrusion which I cannot find on any of the documented Tubes or Primers in production from 1880 onward. I know the Japanese Ordnance designes were based on a lot of older British systems so I spent a bunch of time trying to find the British counterpart but I almost think this is a hybrid design but for which system??? The other interesting note is that this item did not contain black powder. Instead it appears to have held a beveled stick of cordite (or similar propellant) along with approximately four “washer” type piece of propellant in the end.

This item has been Inerted by qualified EOD personnel and all hazardous materials were disposed of properly.

I appreciate any help you may be able to offer.

Brian B.

[ogreve]

Hi Brian,

It was by coincidence that I stumbled upon this question.
I cannot say I have ever seen such an item. That is not to say it is not Japanese, but it doesn't appear to be a regular (Naval) artillery primer; the ones I'm aware of all look very differently. The shape is off, as is the thread with only some 3 threads. Well then, most of the documented stuff is from the Showa era, and the 16.5 markings can indeed be a proper Showa date (May 1941). It cannot be a Taisho date (as "Taisho 16" would be 1927, and by then the Taisho era was already over), it would also be far too early to be Meiji 16.
The anchor looks like that of the Toyokawa arsenal, but... I see no (other) markings that put it beyond a doubt as Japanese manufacture. It doesn't have the typical Naval inspector mark either. It could have been manufactured in Britain for Japan. If so, the era of most likelihood wood be around 1900. The overall shape etc. makes me think this is no artillery primer, but possibly something for some other explosive charge...

I'm sorry I can't ID it for you; just some thoughts...

Cheers,
Olafo