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105mm PA55 fiber containers, need info.

917601

Well-Known Member
I was looking for a few fiber containers to put my 105 H rounds in. I had a few 105mm wooden crates already, and picked up two of these from a fellow MVPA member ( I do a lot of shows in Atlanta). My question, no info can I find except for an older style fiber container which gave me the principle. I have a few puzzle pieces and extra parts, a " Spacer" and a few discs. I did get my Projectile and casing to fit ( without fuze- I take it they are shipped without the fuzes) but was wondering where the other cardboard pieces go. I take it the fiber container end with the metal edging accepts the case, and the end without metal is the projectile end. Any references on the packaging is appreciated.
 

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For historical info I received some info from a reserve unit cannon cocker ( Artilleryman) who was the container source.... He wrote:"the tubes are 1974 dated. I will be in VA in June. Last time my unit shot in VA, the tubes were 1947 dated." ....sure enough, the lids on the PA55 fiber containers are marked " CNP 3-74". It seems our modern current day 105 H rounds are packed in vintage containers.
 
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he said the tubes they fired off recently have had 1947 and 1974 dates on them. Must have been one large surplus stock they are packaging current 105H artillery rounds in.
 
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If the US system is anything like the British system, it is entirely possible that they have be used and reused, time and again. I have handled boxes dated in the 19040 that have been returned from modern conflicts.
 
The UK have a system where ammunition packages and cartridge brass are returned from anywhere in the world where we have forces.
They come in on a daily basis by the articulated lorry load, are sorted into types of package and complete pallets are built up to a particular specification, then the completed pallets are stored until called for by the packaging authority. I worked there for a while.
 
Does this system include small arms ammunition as well?

Also, does it mean that any of the fired British artillery cases found for sale were either scrapped or stolen?
 
Most small arms can't be reused. At my last contact with the system, there was a set level that was reclaimed for reuse and beyond that number it is scrapped. It obviously requires storage facilities, which are finite.

I've seen a lot of the types of tubes in the OP, all sadly scrapped because there is no use for them in the British system.
 
I was talking about 30 years ago.
Obviously from what LCPLCOMBAT was saying, things have declined even more.
The smaller brass was melted down for reuse. Some large cases were reworked.
It was possible to purchase legal cartridge cases from gift shops at places like Bovington, but this may no longer be the case.
 
Most small arms can't be reused. At my last contact with the system, there was a set level that was reclaimed for reuse and beyond that number it is scrapped. It obviously requires storage facilities, which are finite.

I didn't think that small arms cases would actually be re-used, I just wondered if they also had to be accounted for and returned to a particular site. Obviously it wouldn't be practical to recover every single case.
 
A percentage of SAA brass has to be recovered from the shoot. I do not know what this is now, but it used to be 80%.
This is an average based on the type of shoot. For run downs firing, firing whilst running on Dartmoor or somewhere the recovered brass is likely to be small, but on a firing range you would get more and average it out over your annual entitlement.
 
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