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PR or PDR?

Tony Williams

Well-Known Member
I have noticed that the "pounder" designations used for many UK guns and ammunition are usually abbreviated on the headstamp (and sometimes in documentation) as either "PR" or "PDR". Is the choice of abbreviation entirely random, or was one supplanted by the other (and if so, when?).
 
I think Pr was replaced by Pdr around the time of the late 1940s. How universal it was though, I have no idea. I have some 17 pr barrels and two of them are stamped 17 PR and one is stamped 17 PDR, none are dated however!
 
I've done some checking among my collection. I found only two examples of PDR headstamps: on a 1½ pdr naval dated 1915 and a 2 pdr No.1 dated 1915.

PR headstamps I have include a 1 pr Mk III of 1916 and a 2 pr No 1 dated 1916. I have two 6 pr 8 cwt dated 1917, also PR, and so is everything I have after WW1 (mostly 2 pr Nos 1 and 2).

Now I don't have a comprehensive collection by any means, but this very limited selection suggests that PDR might have been used up to 1915, PR from 1916 onwards, although I doubt that it is as simple as that.... Can anyone add further data?
 
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I can add a few more examples from the data I drew of headstamps for the last 20 years.
PDR is scarce and usually 1918 or earlier.
I have noted a 1 1/2 pdr naval mk1 VSM 1914. B 1915 is only H/s PR.
2PDR Vickers SH&S 17, VSM 1914,15 , 17 and 1918 are all PDR.
18PDR 11 COW 1915.
Everything else I have is only PR in the headstamp. I hope this helps so 1918 seems to be the latest dfate?? Ron.
 
Thanks Ron, we seem to be zeroing in on a fairly narrow transition period of 1915-1918. Until someone comes up with something different!
 
Hello.
I had nevermind to the difference between PR and PDR. The post of ron3350 mentions a case of 18PDR made by COW in 1915 so I took a look on the pictures of my examples for this manufacturer. That is what I have:
1914 date 21 2 15 18PR
1915 date 3 4 15 18PDR
1915 date 18 5 15 18PDR
1916 lot 34, no date, 18PDR
I have ,for the moment, taken pictures only for my 18 PR cases so I can say nothing about the other cases. I have to look at them.
Regards,
Dandebur.1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg
 
Hello.
Today, I look through all my cases of WW1 with PR or PDR. 13 PR Mk I or II, 13 PR 9 Cwt Mk I or II, 6 PR, the only one 3 PR I have, all are stamped PR.
PDR appears only on cases 2 PDR made by VSM in 1915 and 1916. ( I have only these two years ). PDR is on all of them. I have one made by G C ( Gramophone Company) it is stamped 2 PR.
I can't add something else.
Regards,
Dandebur.
 
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