Royal Laboratory Mark II 1883

[CultOfOne]

Hi All

My latest acquisition a 'Royal Laboratory’s II percussion fuze' dated June 1883. apart from the images below that's all I know about the fuze, if anyone could provide any further documentation or information about this fuze it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MINENAZ16]

Hello,

I assume this fuze was introduced as No7 MkII

Regards

 

[TimG]

It is my understanding that the original nomenclature for this fuze was - Fuze, Percussion R.L. Plain Mk. II. However, towards the end of the nineteenth century, to avoid confusion, named fuzes were allocated a number. This fuze became the No. 7.

This fuze was intended for use by Land Service in all Rifled Breech Loaders up to 80 Pr. and in Naval Service with 7 and 9 Pr. Rifled Muzzle Loaders. The exception in both sevices being the 7 Pr. double shell.


TimG

 

[Jimmykoystix]

Hello,

I assume this fuze was introduced as No7 MkII

Regards

View attachment 121599

Thanks I think you’ve got it right. The drawing has no dimensions, the object I’ve got is 1.295“ but it all looks correct .
So do the markings 3/81 and 10/90 indicate the date the fuse was originally made and recalibrated?, plus is it dangerous to handle?.

 

[Jimmykoystix]

It is my understanding that the original nomenclature for this fuze was - Fuze, Percussion R.L. Plain Mk. II. However, towards the end of the nineteenth century, to avoid confusion, named fuzes were allocated a number. This fuze became the No. 7.

This fuze was intended for use by Land Service in all Rifled Breech Loaders up to 80 Pr. and in Naval Service with 7 and 9 Pr. Rifled Muzzle Loaders. The exception in both sevices being the 7 Pr. double shell.


TimG

I’m a bit new to this does the 80 Pr mean pounder?
Would a percussion fuse be used with shrapnel balls or are the balls from a timed fuse shell only?

 

[sgdbdr]

This fuze is documented in the following books :
Handbook for 7-PR Rifled M.L. Steel gun of 200lb
Handbook for 9-PR R.M.L. guns of 6-CWT & 8-CWT
Handbook for 9-PR R.M.L. guns of 6-CWT. & 8-CWT.
Handbook for the 13-PR rifled ML gun of 8 CWT
Handbook for the 16-PR rifled M.L. gun of 12 CWT
Handbook for the 25-pr rifled M.L. gun of 18 CWT
Handbook for 40-PR Rifled B.L. Guns
Handbook for 40-PR R.B.L. Guns of 32 and 35 CWT
Handbook for the 80-PR rifled M.L. converted gun of 5 tons, on sliding carriage
Treatise on ammunition 2nd edition
Handbook of artillery materiel

Most of them are available here : https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/discovery/search?vid=61SLV_INST:SLV&lang=en (Victoria State Library)

Cheers,

S.

 

[Jimmykoystix]

This fuze is documented in the following books :
Handbook for 7-PR Rifled M.L. Steel gun of 200lb
Handbook for 9-PR R.M.L. guns of 6-CWT & 8-CWT
Handbook for 9-PR R.M.L. guns of 6-CWT. & 8-CWT.
Handbook for the 13-PR rifled ML gun of 8 CWT
Handbook for the 16-PR rifled M.L. gun of 12 CWT
Handbook for the 25-pr rifled M.L. gun of 18 CWT
Handbook for 40-PR Rifled B.L. Guns
Handbook for 40-PR R.B.L. Guns of 32 and 35 CWT
Handbook for the 80-PR rifled M.L. converted gun of 5 tons, on sliding carriage
Treatise on ammunition 2nd edition
Handbook of artillery materiel

Most of them are available here : https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/discovery/search?vid=61SLV_INST:SLV&lang=en (Victoria State Library)

Cheers,

S.

Wow, I'll take a look through later thanks

 

[Jimmykoystix]

Wow, I'll take a look through later thanks

Thanks I took a quick look at one of the manuals online and there it is and without the ball bearings. So I'm now presuming that the ball bearings are not linked to using the mk II percussion fuse.

Are those numbers on the fuse the dates it was made and checked over?

 

[sgdbdr]

All explained page 11, § FUZES