imaokie2000
Well-Known Member
I bought these two Squeezebores and I cannot ID the projectile on the left in the first pic, other than it is 37mm.
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37MM Squeezebore
- Thread starter imaokie2000
- Start date
Sorry to break the bad news to you, but you have a repro. It was made in Laconia New Hampshire by a gentleman named Jim Keegal. Keegal was a High School shop teacher (now retired) who collected artillery ammo. People would trade him real artillery ammo items for his collection, in payment for him making duplicates or missing pieces. He did this work for about 20 years or more. He always stamped the base of projectiles with ID data, the K being K for Keegal, and he usually had different ID stamps at 90 degree intervals around the base, just like on your example.
As a side note, a number of these have been sold over the years by unscrupulous people as rare originals, CSAEOD being one of the sellers. Keegal made fake fuzes, projectiles, rebanded projectiles etc.
As an additional note, there is no way a projectile like this would work as a squeeze bore, because the last half of the projectile is solid, and could never be squeezed by combustion pressure in a barrel. It would take hundreds of tons of hydraulic force to squeeze that through a smaller diameter barrel, and it would split a barrel anyway.
As a side note, a number of these have been sold over the years by unscrupulous people as rare originals, CSAEOD being one of the sellers. Keegal made fake fuzes, projectiles, rebanded projectiles etc.
As an additional note, there is no way a projectile like this would work as a squeeze bore, because the last half of the projectile is solid, and could never be squeezed by combustion pressure in a barrel. It would take hundreds of tons of hydraulic force to squeeze that through a smaller diameter barrel, and it would split a barrel anyway.
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I'm sure SG500 (Dave) will provide better input than I, however, the shape of the first projectile, the colour of the steel suggests to me its either some kind of pre-experimental design, or dummy for visual purposes. The portion of the projectile that would normally be "squeezed", looks fairly solid to me. Its certainly interesting.
WRT the second projectile, out of curiousity, is the nose/ballistic cap, made from Aluminium (or aluminum if you wish
WRT the second projectile, out of curiousity, is the nose/ballistic cap, made from Aluminium (or aluminum if you wish
imaokie2000
Well-Known Member
Thank you HAZORD. Another one for my Fantasy Round Collection. I couldn't ID it and it was in to nice condition, so I didn't give much for it. It's my nicest fantasy projectile except maybe for my 20mm Plumb Bob and I gave it to Mr. Wooden..................:tongue:
imaokie2000
Well-Known Member
No, the other one has a Tracer Pocket with traces of tracer compound in it. No type of markings at all and the point isn't aluminum like others I have seen. It may also be a Repro.
Interesting items, thanks for posting them.
Collecting taper bores is a bit of a minefield, I guess they're relatively easy to turn on a lathe.
I agree with all the comments about the first one, there's no way that ones going to taper.
The other one, don't write it off just yet. I used to have one just like it and have seen 5 of them in different places over the years that were all exactly the same. The one I had had an old patina and the tracer pocket was simply a hole in the base as opposed to a tracer that sticks out of the base, it was solid. I still haven't made up my mind about it and I wondered if it was a pre development projectile to show what the profile of the round looked like.
Dave.
imaokie2000
Well-Known Member
Thanks Dave, It had me questioning it because it is solid steel where others has an aluminum nose. I did think it could have been a mockup. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one that thought that! I'm new to Squeezebores and I prolly need to leave them alone until I learn more about them........................................
None of them are especially common. About the easiest ones to find are the 28/20 German and the 2 pounder British.
There's a couple of links I did on such things.
Don't give up, they're interesting rounds.
dave.
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/81858-Squeezebores-from-other-countries?highlight=squeezebore
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/81466-More-German-Squeezebores?highlight=squeezebore
imaokie2000
Well-Known Member
Thanks Dave. I've read those posts many times! :bigsmile: