US bomb accessories ploughed up

[ramc181]

In amongst the usual scrap that the plough turns up every year at my local airfield's former bomb dump were these bits and bobs:

I'm assuming top left is the transit cover for the tail fin threads, with three fin locking rings:

Closeup of the three fuze well plugs, two still with yellow paint in place, but the centre one is black all over:

Two Fahnestock clips, a pair of lead safety seals, and four unknown solid brass items. Any ideas?

And oddest of all, two US-made 20mm fired cases, both distorted and cut down with a tool for some reason.
No aircraft operating from this base ever used 20mm ammunition, so how they got there is another mystery:

All the best,
PB

 

[dano1917]

Whether you're collecting bomb bits, antique insulators, bottlesr arrowheads freshly ploughed fields are a hot ticket item...Dano

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

Nice items.

Hi pb and nice finds with some interesting bits.

The two 20 mm cases you show, are you sure they are cut down and not just corroded to almost the same length ?

If they are cut down then it is very odd ?

 

[ramc181]

The two 20 mm cases you show, are you sure they are cut down and not just corroded to almost the same length ?

If they are cut down then it is very odd ?

Ta Chris,

They have definitley been cut, the tool marks are still visible. The open ends are both the same width, 20mm/0.8" across, the same as a .50 BMG breech. (As an 8AF bomber station, .50 Cal Brownings were certainly used here. )

All the best,
PB

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

50 cal cut downs

Hi pb thanks for the reply.

Being as you say they are 20mm at the cut end then they are in fact 50 cal cases !
Still does not explain why they are cut down versions though ?

Can you read the headstamp on the case, are they the same ?

 

[BOMBSaway1980]

cut down cases could be used for functions check if dummy rounds were not availible.

 

[dano1917]

cut dowm 20mm?????????????????????

That would the most likely of scenarios bombsaway1980.Dano

 

[ramc181]

They aren't .50 BMG cases I'm afraid, they are cut-down 20x110 cases.

Headstamp code on both is "GMS 1942 20MM M2xxx".

All the best,
PB

 

[BOMBSaway1980]

The point of cutting it away is after the round has fired the case expands, So cutting it down was the only way they could dryfire the gun without the aid of a dummy round in hand, it also happened to all calibers of Gun or Cannon. It help prevent damage to the firing pins.

 

[ramc181]

Size comparison:

.50 BMG on left, 20x110 complete case between our two mystery-purpose ones. Apologies for the poor photo, it was the last one I could get before the camera died.

The cut-down cases have a single striker mark on the primer.

All the best,
PB

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

oop's !

Well I got that one wrong then ! :sad::embarassed:

Thanks for showing us and good and safe hunting.

 

[ramc181]

No worries Chris,

Thanks to you and everyone else for the suggestions so far.

The thing that's puzzling me most about the cut cases is that they've been reduced in diameter, one more than once, and they are both running off-centre as a result.
Other than there shouldn't be any 20mm cases on this particular airfield.....

So, that also leaves us with the four as yet unidentified brass items.
Bomb fuze safety plungers?
I wonder if I should post them in the Bomb Fuzes section to see if that trawls anything up.

All the best,
Paul