On Sun, 19 Jan 2003, at around 00:07:47 local time, Mark Hooper
<mhooper@pixelsystems.com> wrote:
>My doorbell looks like what can only be described as a very large rifle
>cartridge. The bullet is not there since it has been fired (thus allowing me
>to turn it into a doorbell with less risk than hammering an unfired
>cartridge to make a sound). ;^) It is about 18" long and 3 1/2" across the
>base. All brass. It has several markings on the base, spaced around the
>firing hole. (I still have the firing pin which is another bullet-like
>perforated brass shape that screws into the firing hole).
Dear Mark,
No you don't. The firing pin is something completely different! What
you have there is the detonator.
>
>On top it says "6PR7CWT" with an "I" and small "m" under.
So, a shell case from a QF 6-pounder, 7-hundredweight Anti-Tank gun,
WWII-era. Here's a bit of background on the gun from the Probert
Encyclopaedia:
"The QF 6pdr 7cwt Gun Mk 2 was a British 57 mm calibre anti-tank gun
produced from 1941 to the 1950s and used as both an infantry towed
anti-tank weapon and turret mounted in tanks. The American army also
adopted it and called it the 57 mm M1. The QF 6pdr 7cwt Gun Mk 2 fired a
tungsten-cored armour-piercing round and later was the first gun to use
sabot shot as its standard round. The QF 6pdr 7cwt Gun Mk 2 had an
effective range of 1500 meters and could penetrate 74 mm of armour at
1000 meters with standard AP shells (with a muzzle velocity of 821
meters-per-second) and 146 mm at 1000 meters with sabot rounds (with a
muzzle velocity of 1235 meters-per-second)."
>On the left it shows "LOT" with an 850 under
Batch number (?)
>On the right it has "ECC"
That will be the manufacturer, but I don't recognise the initials (about
100 years too modern for my area of expertise!).
>On the bottom it has a small "61F and an up arrow" and a large "1943", the
>date I guess.
The "Broad Arrow" shows that it was the property of the War Office -
i.e., this is British. 1943 is indeed the date of manufacture. 61F
is likely to be an inspector's stamp.
ATB
--
Mike
Ellie - 1963 White Herald 1200 Convertible GA125624 CV
Connie - 1968 Conifer Herald 1200 Saloon GA237511 DL
Carly - 1977 Inca Yellow Spitfire 1500 FM105671
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