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Help to identify projectile, WW1?

M

MarkH

Member
Hi all this is my first posting so hopefully I get it right. My interest is in all things military WW1 and WW2 especially and I just recently have acquired some ordnance, a nice WW2 cut away tropical Mills grenade and one other in black. I just got this projectile in a Sydney auction, and would greatly appreciate any help in pinning down what it is? What the markings mean? My guess from the fonts used is thats it's WW1, other than that, can't tell whether it is British or German. It seems to have been professionally turned into a desk paper weight, rather than being trench art made, and in the process has a stamping into the lead on the base. The calibre is very close to 1.5" or 38mm and the length close to 6.5" or 16cm. Many thanks for help,
Mark in Oz
 

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You have a 1 pdr "pom pom" round made by Vickers n England.Used in a larger example of the Maxim machine gun and various other single shot guns and automatic guns.
 
Many thanks for the info highlandotter, does anyone recognize the meaning of the stampings, base stampings, and were these used in WW1 and in what role?? thanks
Mark
 
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Just noticed the PA on the projectile. This means that it is a Spanish shell made by the Placencia de las Armas, a Vickers subsidiary . The V on the base is for Vickers.Could have been made 1897-1925. Probably used in Maxim gun, but could have been used in Hotchkiss revoling gun or the many kinds of singleshot Hotchkiss guns. Maxim guns during this time periond were used as AA guns and were common as QF guns on ships from patrol boats to Q ships, commerce raiders and regular naval vessels, but they were obosolesent by WW1.They were originaly used as anti torpedo boat guns, but the size of the shell was really not effective and they were phased out. Still were effective in discouraging smaller craft. The 37x94R round was one of the most widely used rounds on land,sea and even air in the time range of 1890-WW1.There are hundreds of different kinds of loadings and usedby dozens of countries. See Robert Mellichamp's books, Vol. 1 and2 for a great reveiw of this interesting round.
 
The lead ? seal thing in the primer pocket with markings is unusual ? Your round could have been used in Spain or absorbed into British Army stocks or sold commercially.
 
Thanks for your information guys, the lead seal and its stampings sit back from the base of the shell in the bulky brass base that seems to have been purpose made for the shell, not sure whether this shows in the images, if these were commercially made for paper weights from some old munitions I imagine some others must have survived out there somewhere, thanks Mark
 
There are lots about and all sorts of inventive ways to sell them as curios were devised.
 
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