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Is this WW2 French "37 Mle 1938" actually a Schneider "37 Mle 1930" ?!!

A

ammofo

Well-Known Member
In the last ten years I've been round hundreds of French brocantes looking for shells and cases and I've genuinely NEVER seen one of these before. It think it could be a "37mm Modele 1930" AA case...….1930 was the design date, but they were ordered and produced in 1938. This case has "37 Mle 1938" stamped on it. If it is from that gun, I've found a few sources suggesting that around 700 were ordered but only around 20 were in service before the Germans conquered France in 1940. They had little use for such a 'niche' weapon due to scant numbers being available and didn't bother with it.
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I've shown it next to a WW1 one pounder for a size reference, but it measures about 149mm long.
Here's a link as a starter...
https://translate.google.co.uk/tran...org/wiki/Schneider_37_mm_Mle_1930&prev=search

Has anybody ever seen one or got one etc... and if I'm wrong, can you please shove me along the right track !!!

Any info would be greatly appreciated...
 
Hi and thanks for your quick reply on this one. That sounds like a pretty promising lead so I'll see what I can turn up...!!
 
I've found this link on the H39 and the dimensions and profile of the case are spot on, and the German drawings of head stamps (at the bottom of the link) show the designation as 37 Mle 1938 - so it looks like a very good fit !!
Perhaps not as rare as my original thoughts but still a great find. Like I say, I've never come across one yet...and not bad for 3 euros !!
Cheers for the shove...much appreciated !!
 
I need to update the Ammo Data Tables, someone with an example of the Schneider Mle 1930 cartridge case provided exact measurements, and it is 296mm long. I had a replica of the complete round made - it's at the right-hand end of the second group down in this photo: http://quarryhs.co.uk/tankammo3.html

This round was only used in the Schneider automatic AA cannon, which saw very little use.
 
I am truly surprised you did not find them before, extremely common in France.
 
Hoeksel said:
We are talking about the 37 mm Mle 1938.
Click to expand...

Me too !!…
I don't get to visit the brocantes too far North where most of the action was happening. As a result you only tend to get the more common cases further south that were taken home by soldiers fighting on the front lines. (That's why I was so surprised to find the Japanese case we discussed in the other thread !! Still can't work out those headstamps !!!)
 
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