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2cm MG FF electric primer

Interesting - I didn't realise that these were made.

Possibly it was intended to see how well electric priming worked with an API blowback gun, during the development of the 30 mm MK 108?
 
Very interesting, thanks for posting that Fert, thats the first one i have ever seen like that.
Best Weasel
 
Would you happen to know what for? I don’t recall if the seller knew what it was for or not, but it looked to be dated 1939.
 
Would you happen to know what for? I don’t recall if the seller knew what it was for or not, but it looked to be dated 1939.

I am not certain of the exact application, but I have read that the ShVAK round was used in sub-calibre training devices, which would typically be inserted into larger-calibre gun barrels, probably in armoured vehicles or possibly naval gun mountings. 1939 might be too early a date for that, but of course the case and the primer are not necessarily of the same vintage.
 
Hi @fert,
I just had another look at your very nice and interesting round. It's not often that one gets to see a specimen in such a perfect condition. The casing is stamped "P" for Polte. One would expect a company like Polte to be working on developing 20mm ammunition. What surprises me, is that the electric primer is not stamped at all. As far as I know Polte did not produce electric primers. The only manufacturer, that I know, is Rheinmetall-Breslau. They invented the bridgewire cap. There were discussions, in military circles, at the time, for their synchronised use for ever faster fighterplanepropellers, so the pilot could shoot straight ahead.
Many specialists at the time thought, that it was not possible to heat up a bridgewire precisely in such an extremely small timeframe. Rh proofed that it is possible. Does anyone know of another manufacturer of electric priming-caps for cartridges, at that time, in Germany ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.
 
Perhaps these Electric primers are also interesting
The cartridge without a head stamp is a 7,9 Mauser.

Rgds
 

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