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1901 c97/98 37mm 1pdr Help needed please!

D

Dparker91

Member
Hello there im danny im new to this site and collecting inert. I have a few questions about the recent round i just bought any help would be much appreciated!

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I have done some research about the round so I just wanted to know that if what i have read is correct.

I have read this could of been from the second boer war, as the germans where sending the boer people ammo, If this is true what is confussing me is the fact it is navy stamped or would this not matter at this time period?

I checked out info for the stamps on the shell,

The crown with the M = German imperial navy?
The roman numerals would of been the month the round was made so in my case june, also the 1901 being the year?
karlsruhe = The company/town it was made?
32 at the very bottom = batch it was in?
The 'flaming bombs' = makers mark?

Few other questions,

Is the projectile the right period for the shell?
What would have been in the very top of the projectile as there is a small hole?
The brass piece at the top unscrews also what is this? is it part of the fuze, it has J 17 wrote around it also says J17 on the bottom of the projectile?

Sorry for all the questions, hopefully there not to stupid lol

Thanks again for any help it would really be great!

Danny
 
It is correct the way it is, standard German Navy 1 pr for the Maxim 1 pr that they adopted in 1897. It is a German Navy round not for the Boer War, they were all made around that time and used through ww1. The brass nose is the fuze. Proper position in the case is to line up the indents in the case with the groove in the projectile, it was pushed in a little too far.
 
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Thanks for the help Gspragge, Glad to have cleared up when it would have possible been used.

sorry if any of these questions seem silly but what would have been in the end of the fuze then as mine is just a hole and the fuze has no strinking pin or anything like that? do you no what this fuze was called maybe I could find some more info that way, also the primer is missing from the shell do you no if there is anyway i could get hold of another one for this shell?

one more sorry to be a pain lol but do you no what the c97/98 stands for?

Thanks again for the help mate!

Danny
 
There are never silly questions, but sometimes silly answers:tinysmile_shy_t:
 
As Gspragge says, the c97/98 stands for Navy round for the Maxim gun. In fact, there are other German rounds made for the Army and the Hotchkiss revolving gun with different markings. There are others made by Germany during this time period up to the end of WW1. In the hole in the fuze, there would have been a little wood plug with a pin in it and a cap for detonating the explosive. They are commonly missing in these rounds. As for the primer, easiest way is to get another case. Primers by themselves are quite rare. This kind of fuze was use dby many countries in early rounds. It is a Demaerst fuze which was simple and cheap, but was replaced by more efficient ones as it was not dependable in grazing fire.
 
Thanks for the help highlandotter, good shout on just getting a shell would make sense lol, What are the chances of getting a compelet Demaerst fuze?

The help has been great, Thanks

Danny
 
Probably easiest thng to do is get a suitalbe size wood dowel and sand it to fit..No one is likely to know the difference, as again, finding a loose fuze is unlikely,If you want it to look original, you can add a dab of dark reddish brown stain.
 
Ok mate thanks ill will try and do something like that maybe, you dont by any chance have a picture of a complete one that i can see?

Danny
 
Dparker91 said:
also the primer is missing from the shell do you no if there is anyway i could get hold of another one for this shell?
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Look around at shows and fairs for a split or damaged similar case that's cheap. Take the primer out of that.
 
This is the fuze, it is a Desmaresk PD, the firing pin is held in a piece of wood, over this is a thick layer of varnish. On French fuzes there is a layer of putty like stuff on top of the wood then a layer of varnish. Fill in the fuse to about 1/16" of the top keeping it absolutely flat, darken the surface of the filler black or dark brown. Fill in with thick gooey varnish and let dry for a few days, repeat if there is too much space left. When filled the varnish should be even with the top or just below. The French fuzes shown will give you the idea. Colour is dark reddish brown to black and not perfect as age will show.
 

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