American or canadian manufacturers?

[Dandebur]

Hello,
I show you 3 headstamps on 76.2x385R , I think there are contracts for Russia in 1916. My question is about the manufacturers: are they american or canadian? Or perhaps they are sub-contractors?
The date is month;day;year. It is unusual from canadian makers.
pic 1: ACCO and at 6o'clock PSD in circle.
pic 2: FPSCo / ACCo and at 6 o'clock a symbol "crossed C 68", I think it is canadian as those found on the primers of canadian production.
pic 3: FPSCo and at 6 o'clock the logo of the Canadian cartridge Company.
I should be very happy if somebody could explain these headstamps.
Regards,
Dandebur.

 

[TimG]

Dandebur,

I have a Canadian book "The History of Munitions Supply in Canada 1914 - 1918" It goes into quite detailed breakdown of what was produced and there is no mention whatsoever of making cases for Russia. I would agree the double 'C' mark on case 3 as being identical to that of the Canadian Cartridge Co.

TimG.

 

[Yodamaster]

Hi Dandebur,

for A.C.Co I have : Austin Cartridge Co, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Badly, I have no idea for FPS Co


Yoda

 

[spotter]

FPSco Federal Press Steel company Milwaukee

 

[Gspragge]

"The History of Munitions Supply in Canada 1914 - 1918"

I had not heard of this book before- three for sale on Abes - cheapest at $90 U.S. and up to $300 !

Crap , I'll not be getting one at those prices. Seems a lot for a very limited interest market.

 

[Dandebur]

TimG,
I have hesitated to do this reply because, I want absolutely not to do a polemic, but I am convinced that canadian manufacturers have produced russian cases of 76.2mm. I show one, infortunaly cut down, made by MAC° in 1916. At 6 o'clock there is the typically canadian symbol " crossed C 134".The date is 6-24-16. Perhaps canadian manufacturers have not directly produced for Russia, but were sub-contractors for american firms? I had not shown this one in my first post, because my question was about the connection between the firms ACC°; FPSC° and CC. I wonder about the two names on the same case: N°2.
On this occasion, I show two others cases: the N°5 is marked BHC°, I don't know who he is, the N°6 marked VSM dated 1916. This one, I know!
Regards,
Dandebur.

 

[TimG]

Dandebur,

I have had time to do a bit of research. The book makes no mention whatsoever of producing anything for Russia, which is clearly wrong as you have at least two cases made by Canadian companies.

The book was written in 1925 by Col. David Carnegie. He had been a Member and Ordnance Adviser of the Imperial Munitions Board in Canada from 1915–19. So he should have known what had been manufactured. This leads me to suspect it might have been a deliberate omission, which might have something to do with the Russian Revolution and its outcome three years earlier.

I found listings of these documents at the National Archives.

Reference: MUN 4/6994
Description: RUSSIA: LIQUIDATION OF CONTRACTS: Payments chargeable to Russia under direct Russian contracts with Imperial Munitions Board, Canada
Date: 1917 July - 1921 July

Reference: MUN 4/2514
Description: MUNITIONS: GENERAL: Cost of orders for shells placed in U.S.A. and Canada, including those on behalf of Russia and Serbia
Date: 1915 Aug. 16-19

TimG