4.5 inch mk 3 to 5 gun 1979

[ken68]

Hi this 1979 4.5 inch brass case I think were used on Ships as HMS Plymouth with the mk 5 QF guns, twin mk 6 mount . please correct me if I am wrong Cheers

 

[Falcon]

That's a nice case. Usually these are only found in fired or sea-recovered condition.

 

[ken68]

Thanks Falcon its really mint condition could'nt say no when i seen it .
I was reading that these mk 5 guns with mk 6 mount were still fired and used by HMS plymouth also seen some saying these were not QF . But it was an Auto loader QF on the mk 6 mount i am sure ??? . Not alot of info ....other ships in the Falklands had the Mk8 with malfunctions back then and was not as reliable as the mk5 /mk6 twin mount . Nice bit of Naval history ...

 

[Tony Williams]

The service marks of 4.5in guns before the current Mk 8 were not autoloaders. The shells and cartridges were man-handled separately, with each barrel normally firing at a rate of 10-12 rounds per minute (only half the designed rate, which was never achieved).

The Mk 8 is fully automated with no-one normally in the turret, and the ammo is fixed. It fires at around 25 rpm.

While the ammunition is basically the same, I understand that there is a subtle difference in the annular grooves around the neck. In the Mk 8 these are crimping grooves and are parallel with the case mouth. In the earlier marks this is a screw thread for the cap which enclosed the mouth, so are at a slight angle to the mouth. (I am open to correction about this as I have always found the differences in the 4.5 inch cases - with some significant differences in length - rather confusing.

 

[glevum]

Tony,

The early 4.5 naval guns used a fixed round.

I think Mk 1 and 2 were fixed round, mks 4 and 5 used separate round. I know mk 3 could use a separate round as this case is marked, but I am not sure if it could use the fixed round as well.

Regards,

Will.

 

[Tony Williams]

Yes, I should have said that the earliest versions used a fixed round, but I believe they changed that rather quickly as a result of practical wartime experience of manhandling something that big and heavy.

 

[ken68]

Yes the later ones were separate been, poking around on the internet I know HMS Plymouth used the mk 6 twin turret 4.5 inch mark V case like mine and were still used in the Falklands . someone had told me they only had the mk8 4.5 inch on all the ships in the falklands ,but I remember something about Plymouth when it was up here roysth for repair. the mk8 is a bit longer than the 3 to 5 4.5 cases , found this link , http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_45-45_mk5.htm thankyou for the information guys . I have 2 mk16 4 inch shells and a 1961 tiger class 3 inch steel case with the same threaded top . regards Ken

 

[ken68]

Hi maybe you can help me out with the mk16 4 inch shells . the one on the right is 1957 4in mks 16 & 21 guns and has like a ribbed rim also inside its clean no burn marks etc , and the crimped neck is gapped (DRILL) ? the one on the left is 4in mk 16 gun 1969 and has a full crimp around the neck and has been fired . any help on the early one would be great thanks