British 105mm Tank projectile - info required

[exat808]

I have recently acquired this British 105mm TK Prac Flash projectile ( together with a nice cartridge case for a HESH shell).
I am wondering if this type of shell was accepted into British service?
It is not marked with any "L" series identifying number.
The "SX 455 GF" relates to the drawing number.
On the rear is the filled projectile lot number "183 8/86 GD" indicating that it was filled at ROF (BAe) Glascoed in Wales.
There are stampings relating to the empty projectile being manufactured at ROF (BAe) Patricroft as part of "Lot 70B PAT 5/73" and a subsequent re-work at Patricroft in 1986 presumably prior to filling. 13 years is a long time for a projectile to remain unfilled.
Has anyone got any supporting information on this projectile please?

[Bonnex]

exat808,

If you PM me your email address I will send a drawing. It was a RARDE design but as you imply it does not seem to have a UK service home. It is very similar to the Prac SH for the Abbot and for the 105 howitzer but as you know these are Shell 105 FD and 105 HOW and their drawing numbers are different. Perhaps it was for foreign sales.

[AMMOTECHXT]

If it helps, some countries that had ageing T54 and T55 Soviet tanks were subject to retrofit programmes, including the substitution of the D-10 gun with a British Royal Ordnance L7A3 105 mm gun. Countries having the Chinese Type 59 MBT (the Chinese copy of the Soviet T54) were also looking to retrofit their tank fleets and no doubt Royal Ordnance were looking for further sales there. In the same vein, Royal Ordnance proposed a retrofit 115 mm gun developed and built in the UK for the T62. I don't know whether british-made 115 mm was actually fitted.
Source info: IDR 9/85, Battle Tank Supplement.

[Old_ROF]

Just a quick clarification.

Royal Ordnance produced a 105mm ordnance to suit the T55/Type 59 tanks upgrades. However this was not a standard L7 gun but had the breech redesigned to operate in reverse. i.e the standard L7 breech opened to the right (as the loader was located to the left of the gun) enabling the round to be loaded into the chamber. For the T-series vehicle the breech opened to the left as the loader is located to the right of the gun. This was given the designation Ordnance, Tk 105mm, N300T1. The breech was further modified with the recoil lugs located to provide the correct interface with the existing recoil and recuperator system cylinders which were both above the barrel.

With regards to the 115mm system for the T62, only the barrel was redesigned and produced by Royal Ordnance and was of a monobloc design rather than the two-piece shrink fit sleeve/liner configuration of the original barrel. Externally this was compatible with the existing breech and cradle/mounting.

[weberoed]

Now Brit 105's in Soviet/chinese tanks - that is some nice info. As I read the first couple posts I said to my self no way the breech opening would be in the wrong position for inside those tanks, then Old ROF cleared the question, Thanks

Now will this same 105 fire all the NATO 105 round? Sounds like it will.

Nice post thanks

[Old_ROF]

Other than having the "inverted" breech configuration the N300T1 was equivalent to the standard 105mm L7 ordnance, so yes it could utilise all the different natures of 105mm tank ammunition.