Value of WWII British 6 Pounder APDS projectile in US is over $500

[Dronic69]

That exactly aligns with my 17 pdr construction, with a separate outer base allowing for the insertion of the core + a screw in base for the petal. As I mentioned previously, I could not understand why they would used a different manufacturing method between the 6 & 17 pdr unless they were made by different companies, and this would not make sense as they would have to conform to the same military construction specifications.

The machined sections on my core outer sheath appears to be purposely done - too good a job just to extract the core IMHO.

 

[Basilisk]

But isn't that how you would likely cut it to get the core out? The drawings here: http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/3428-Show-your-17-PR-Rounds?p=282056&viewfull=1#post282056 show the front and rear sections overlap and are locked together, I don't know how they were assembled at the time, I presume the front starts out larger and is then crushed down over the rear to trap the tungsten, but that's just guessing. The drawings do seem to match the cutaways here: http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/92274-17-pounder-APDS-T?p=261824&viewfull=1#post261824

If it hasn't been interfered with, what would keep the rear section and tracer from possibly separating in flight?

 

[Burney Davis]

I now see what the different posts mean. I show in the picture below two 6pr 7cwt cores with their base sections. You will see on the one there is a 'cannelure' type groove on the base part of the sheath. On this example the 'tooth has been milled down so that the core can be exposed/removed. How it was done I have no idea as it is the correct length, not shortened.

You can plainly see on the other one there is a line that matches the first. This one has been cut above the top of the base part and those two pieces are still fixed together. Hopefully that sheds more light on the topic together with Basilisk's excellent comments above.

 

[Dronic69]

Yep makes sense now - (should have just google BOCN rather than the internet)

Interesting, for the number of ones missing the core, must have been a "popular" activity at some stage..........the one I have came from an eccentric tank collector in Victoria which had a 44 gal drum full of tungsten cores.

BTW - wouldn't mind a 17pdr tungsten core if anyone has a "spare"

 

[Basilisk]

This "eccentric tank collector in Victoria" didn't happen to have his own tank museum, did he?

 

[pzgr40]

But why on earth remove the cores? What's the added value? You'l lose some projectiles as the sabopts break when unscrewing the sabot from the base, and after that you wreck the core by removing the tungsten carbide core....Which is useless. Removing these cores is absolute money destruction. And you cannot reuse these cores, sintered tungsten carbide (WC and W2C) cannot be re melted or ground to powder, in contrast to pure tungsten that can be reused and melted

 

[ozziammo]

The eccentric tank collector in Victoria told me himself that the supply of 17pdr APDS proj. came from him. He with the help of a lathe cut the sheaths & extracted the cores on most of them. selling the cores for "good money". He did however keep a few intact!