Family photograph - 131

[SG500]

I've been trying to get the set of these for years and managed it today with the COW gun round.

As far as I know the 131 fuze was only used in the following:-

MK 5 aircraft gun
Crayford gun
COW gun
Mk 3 aircraft gun

The attached photos show the rounds. For those sharp eyed people yes the one in the Crayford is a mock up fuze........but a real 131 is on its way.:tinysmile_shy_t:

If anyone knows of any other types of round that use this fuze I'd be interested in hearing from them.

All INERT.

Dave.

 

[Weasel]

Hi Dave,
Fantastic set ! Congrats on finding that many 131 fuzes, a really nice adition to your collection and thanks for sharing, Best regards Weasel.

 

[SG500]

Thanks Weasel, yes the fuzes seem to be even harder to find than the rounds!
Dave.

 

[HAZORD]

Congrats Dave! Very impressive family photo. Now that everything is in its proper order, the Earth can resume its normal rotation.

 

[SG500]

Congrats Dave! Very impressive family photo. Now that everything is in its proper order, the Earth can resume its normal rotation.

Thanks John, wouldn't say the Earth can resume normal rotation yet, still some things on the wants list........
Dave.

 

[HAZORD]

Dave,

I'm trying to get educated on the Mk 3 Aircraft gun you mention above. I'm sure you have written about it before, but there has been a lot of talk on P gun, S gun, etc.

In this thread:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/bone-headed-question-t47404.html?t=47404

You refer to it as a 2 Pdr Mk 5 Aircraft Gun round.

So, can you take this bag of snakes and lay them out straight for me? What is the case length for the MK 3/5 Aircraft Gun round? What does the headstamp say?

Thanks,

John

 

[SG500]

Hi John, Tony Williams has an excellent write up on such things on the following link, the Mk 5 in the photos he has is the one I now have:

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/37-40mm.htm

2 pounder Mk V aircraft gun round.

This is the bottom one in the photo and is the really rare one.

Case length 240mm
Head diameter 49.9mm
Calibre 40mm

Designs for the gun were approved in Feb 1917.

NOTE this type of 2 pounder case is unique, there are no other cases with the same measurements as this one.

Headstamp says
2PR MK V
I
1917
VSM
CF
LOT 2

No markings on the primer

1.5 pounder COW gun round.

This is the third one down in the photo and along with the Crayford quite hard to find.

Case length 189mm
Head diameter 46.44mm
Calibre 37mm

The COW gun was accepted into service in 1918 but was extensively modified. In the 1920's it went into a Mk 4 version and remained in service until after the second world war. It was originally intended as an aircraft weapon and was reported in later years as being used in Sunderland flying boats.

Headstamp says:
1 1/2 PR MK III GUN
RL
1918
CF
LOT 4

The primer is a number 5.

Nose fuzed 1.59 inch Crayford

This is the second one down in the photograph

Case length 79mm
Head diameter 47.84mm
Calibre 40mm

The Crayford aeroplane and trench gun was developed by Vickers, son and Maxim at their works in Crayford, Kent (hence the name!).
It was accepted for service in small numbers as an anti Zeppelin weapon.
Declared obsolete in 1919.

The headstamp on the case is one of the early ones that do not have 1.59 stamped on them and is as follows:

VSM
CF

1 pounder MK III aircraft gun round

This is the top one in the photo and the most common to find out of the group.

Case length 70mm
Head diameter 43.8mm
Calibre 37mm

The Mk III was an attempt to produce a weapon using reduced versions of earlier 1 pounder pom pom ammunition. It was never officially announced on introduction (that I know of) and was declared ovsolete in Febrary 1921.

Headstamp says:

1 PR MK III GUN
I
1916
2G1
VSM
CF
LOT7
The primer is a number 5

Hope this helps clarify it a bit, there's not a lot of information about these things.

Dave.

 

[HAZORD]

Thanks Dave, I got the two mixed up for some reason. Major score for you to get the one from Tony. It is always cool to have rounds from published works. I need to read Tony's article and get up to speed on it. I have a few rounds from Leslie Thurston that were shown in Thurston and Hogg's book British Artillery of WWI.