30mm round identification needed

[F0031]

Can anyone help me identify this 30mm round which I bought from a stall at Aldershot recently. It has a coat of varnish and I cannot take it apart.

The primer at the base has been removed leaving a hole through which one can freely stick a length of wire. So the case appears to be empty. The bottom of the case appears to have been polished with sandpaper, so no markings there. Near the rim of the case there are two rows of markings: '5061CY 79 PRAC 4*7' and 'J 30mm.RG.78'. Near the top of the projectile there is 'RG78'. Is PRAC short for practice; i.e. a dummy round for training?

Thanks in advance, Tony.

 

[spotter]

30mm ADEN Practice round,,used for live firing practice
attatched pics show one i have with the original blue colour,yours is likely to have been a polished souvenir piece that someone has varnished to try and keep it shiney

 

[F0031]

That was quick, thanks.

Here it is again after being attacked with nail-varnish remover.

T.

 

[TonyE]

30mm Aden

Just to add some additional information, both the case and the proj. were made at ROF Radway Green, now part of British Aerospace.

The Case stamp "J 30MM" means it is the J type case. There were earlier case types back in the early 1950s. The CY 79 indicates the round was loaded at ROF Chorley (now closed) in 1979 as a Practice Mark 4*.

Regards
TonyE

 

[Charlie]

Missing a piece of copper on the projectile me thinks.

 

[spotter]

nicely spotted charlie,,,,wheres the driving band ? FOO31 see if your round will pull out of the cartridge more.

 

[Charlie]

Nice to have you back Allan

C.

 

[F0031]

nicely spotted charlie,,,,wheres the driving band ? FOO31 see if your round will pull out of the cartridge more.

You're quite right. Now the varnish is removed I can see the edge of a copper driving band just below the end of the case. I shall redouble my efforts to get the thing apart.

Thanks again, Tony.

 

[F0031]

Success!

Here it is yet again. Getting it apart was a bit of a struggle with WD40 and heat. The back end of the projectile has traces of the blue paint.

Thanks yet again - And many many thanks to the organizers for providing this truly excellent forum.

Regards,

Tony.

 

[leeski]

that looks alot better foo31 nice job

regards lee