37mm Hotchkiss US manufacturer FA

[KevinK]

Flea market find in Florida. Has the following markings in the bottom of the projectile. The () indicate where separate less accurate stampings have been made. The 8 looks like it was struck 5 or more times from bounce.

75-13-2-12
F.A.
LOT (61) 191(8)
1 PDR
STEEL SHELL


Would like very much to know what the markings mean. The top 23mm of the shell is also steel and screws off, the inside of the shell is hollow. Is this a practice round? If not a practice round was it just to punch through the target or how would it detonate?

Thanks for any information.

 

[tucco]

An American Round by, Toledo

 

[KevinK]

Thanks for the pictures Tucco but my shell isn't from Toledo unless they didn't always mark them "Toledo" on the bottom as mine has nothing like that, just what I posted in the first post. The bottom is hard to photograph...
Regards,
Kevin

 

[MINENAZ16]

I learned one day on this forum that Navy used it as MkV for practice (markings 1Pdr MKV Toldedo) and Army as 1Pdr Steel Shell (practice sub-cal 1.457in).

 

[Gspragge]

It's by Frankford Arsenal and is an Army practice. There were fuzes but they don't seem to have been used and
I've never heard of one being found. So these were fired empty and likely by coastal artillery over water.
I have one with wood shavings in it, but it's an older one. If there are no tool notches on the nose plug then it was
not meant to be removed.

 

[KevinK]

Thanks very much Gspragge. Mine has a crimp mark done by a sharp point to lock the nose plug but the point it is "locked" by the crimp is a slight turn to the loose, perhaps to allow for a very thin gasket.