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Show us your Wooden Drill Rounds
- Thread starter Andy Naude
- Start date
yes it is.
Could you tell me if the Nordenfelt dummies are the light (42x185R56) or heavy Nordenfelt (42x260R65)?
A round that has recently come my way is a 3.7" Mk.6 AA gun drill (at least, I think it is a Drill).
Has a two-piece steel base, the outer part forming the rim and part of the base of the case, the inner part being attached to a long steel bolt which passes up through the hollow wooden body (which has been painted "brass" colour to simulate metal). At the top is an empty HE steel shell, to which the bolt is attached. The shell has the neck of a brass case crimped round it , which merges neatly into the wooden body. There is no headstamp on the base of the round, but the shell does have faint stampings which are hard to see as they have been heavily painted over. As far as I can see they are
3.7" 6 HV MK 4 MOD"
FS OFW
LOT 200 8/52
On the opposite side of the shell is stamped D2 / 17 / 901-7 (can anyone tell me the significance of this, please?)
![61. [3.7-in Mk.6. Drill. 7 (Base)].jpeg](https://www.bocn.co.uk/data/attachments/183/183176-973d6266de98ec3bbbec9059074d37d3.jpg "61. [3.7-in Mk.6. Drill. 7 (Base)].jpeg")
The holes in the base are all (except for one) about 10mm diameter. There is a No.208 Mk 3 fuze in the nose. The centring bands on the shell have been turned down flush. The shell appears to have been painted buff originally, but black paint was then applied over the top. An interesting item!
Roger.
Has a two-piece steel base, the outer part forming the rim and part of the base of the case, the inner part being attached to a long steel bolt which passes up through the hollow wooden body (which has been painted "brass" colour to simulate metal). At the top is an empty HE steel shell, to which the bolt is attached. The shell has the neck of a brass case crimped round it , which merges neatly into the wooden body. There is no headstamp on the base of the round, but the shell does have faint stampings which are hard to see as they have been heavily painted over. As far as I can see they are
3.7" 6 HV MK 4 MOD"
FS OFW
LOT 200 8/52
On the opposite side of the shell is stamped D2 / 17 / 901-7 (can anyone tell me the significance of this, please?)
The holes in the base are all (except for one) about 10mm diameter. There is a No.208 Mk 3 fuze in the nose. The centring bands on the shell have been turned down flush. The shell appears to have been painted buff originally, but black paint was then applied over the top. An interesting item!Roger.
Hi Roger, nice item. I used to have one of these with very similar markings, a few pics attached.
Mine was stamped D2/17/901-16 so presumably the 7 on yours and the 16 on mine are just sequential numbers in a batch (I'm guessing).
The stamping you say is on yours
3.7" 6 HV MK 4 MOD"
FS OFW
LOT 200 8/52
Should possibly read (based on mine) see third pic
3.7" G HV MK 6 MOD"
FS OFW
LOT 200 8/52
There were also some additional markings closer to the tip of the projectile as shown in the third photo. Is yours marked that way also?
HJ5836
Same holes to the base.....last pic - the holes are in the same locations as yours I assume the central plate has just been screwed in place slightly more on one of them so the inner ones have rotated relative to the outer ones
Dave
Attachments
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Hello Dave,
Thanks for the very interesting info. Yes, your suggestion that the number after the hyphen could be a sequential numbering system has merit, but if correct I wonder how many they made?
The stampings on mine are far fainter than the ones on yours, and the paint over them seems fairly thick. I have looked again very carefully with a strong light and a magnifying glass, and can confirm that the digit I thought was a 6 could well be a G, but I cannot say that the 4 should be a 6! The gap between the 4 and the MOD is larger than the gap between the K and the 4, and I did wonder if there should be a C there, as it is a Mk.4C projectile, I think.
Because the stamps are faint it is difficult to tell if they are actually stamps or merely scratches or dents from usage. Regarding the other stamps on the ogive that you mention, on mine just below the grub-screw hole near the nose is a broad arrow inside a diamond, and below that is what looks like the number 111, but it could equally be the letters HI or HT or HJ, but there are no other visible markings there.
I am aware of two other examples of this dummy; it would be interesting to know how they are stamped and painted.
Roger.
Thanks for the very interesting info. Yes, your suggestion that the number after the hyphen could be a sequential numbering system has merit, but if correct I wonder how many they made?
The stampings on mine are far fainter than the ones on yours, and the paint over them seems fairly thick. I have looked again very carefully with a strong light and a magnifying glass, and can confirm that the digit I thought was a 6 could well be a G, but I cannot say that the 4 should be a 6! The gap between the 4 and the MOD is larger than the gap between the K and the 4, and I did wonder if there should be a C there, as it is a Mk.4C projectile, I think.
Because the stamps are faint it is difficult to tell if they are actually stamps or merely scratches or dents from usage. Regarding the other stamps on the ogive that you mention, on mine just below the grub-screw hole near the nose is a broad arrow inside a diamond, and below that is what looks like the number 111, but it could equally be the letters HI or HT or HJ, but there are no other visible markings there.
I am aware of two other examples of this dummy; it would be interesting to know how they are stamped and painted.
Roger.
OFW - Ordnance Factory Wigan (also known as Beech Hill) Presumably "OFW" as opposed to "ROF W" to avoid confusion with Woolwich, albeit Woolwich was a filling factory. I can't remember off hand when Wigan closed but it wasn't long after 1952.
D2/17/901-7 is drawing number. Notwithstanding they appear to come from the same Lot, I think there has been a change in construction which is reflected by an increase in the drawing number.
TimG
D2/17/901-7 is drawing number. Notwithstanding they appear to come from the same Lot, I think there has been a change in construction which is reflected by an increase in the drawing number.
TimG
Another 120mm BAT L6A1 drill.
Also, though not strictly wood, I have a couple of Sov. bloc (I think ex-DDR) drill rounds for 12.7 & 14.5 HMGs that have a 'grained' appearance. I'm thinking they are synthetic resin bonded fabric (SRBF); fibrous cotton layered with thermosetting resin - like Tufnol (registered brand name). At first glance they look 'wooden' after the machining process.
Very interesting thread.
Also, though not strictly wood, I have a couple of Sov. bloc (I think ex-DDR) drill rounds for 12.7 & 14.5 HMGs that have a 'grained' appearance. I'm thinking they are synthetic resin bonded fabric (SRBF); fibrous cotton layered with thermosetting resin - like Tufnol (registered brand name). At first glance they look 'wooden' after the machining process.
Very interesting thread.