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Unknown head stamp markings - any ideas??

ammofo

Well-Known Member
DSCN7589.jpg The case was cut down at the shoulder unfortunately, so I can't give measurements with absolute certainty, but seems to be a 37mm.

Any help greatly appreciated
 
I think it is italian, M.B.T. could be "Metallurgica Bresciana già Tempini". I think "fert" can tell you much more...
 
To add, besides Italian you can see it is navy and dated 1934.
 
Thanks for the quick responses, I'd ruled out Italian (my initial hunch when buying it) as it bore no resemblance to my other Italian case when I got it home. Shame that it's cut down if it's rare. The guy had an identical one, but I didn't fancy two cut downs !! It's served its purpose though, cos I've learned something for next time.

HOEKSEL - Why Navy, incidentally? What points you in that direction? - Excuse my ignorance !!
 
The L.1 and L.3 are typical Italian Navy markings. So what is the rim diameter and the length of your cut down case? Maybe that will help to identify what you have got.
 
Cut down height is approx. 19cm leaving the rim diameter at 37mm. (This is probably correct, but not necessarily depending on where it was cut !!)
Here's a photo of it next to a US 37mm (1943) which is 220mm in length.
DSCN7590.jpg
 
Greetings
the M16 case has a rim diameter of 55.3, so from the photo your case's rim must be over 50mm in diameter...
is it actually semi-rimmed?.......is it a cut-down Breda case? (37x232SR x51.6rim) for the Breda 37/54 AA , 37/40 AT , 37/C29 naval MC
As I look closely at your photo I see that it IS most probably the Breda case. Its semi-rim is much thicker than that on an M17 case for instance.
 
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Thanks for the extra info, perhaps combined with the previous suggestions re Italian Navy, this could be the most likely answer.
I still can't find an image of a complete round though just to compare, but I'm sure one will turn up !!
 
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