7,92mm Mauser round ID

[cornman]

Can anyone ID this German Mauser round? A colleage of me found it and it appears that the `tube` belongs to be in the casing. The casing is unfired and has the headstamp; P S* 161 36 . Both `tube` and casing are empty. I saw once a picture with a Mauser round which had a same sort of tube like this one. Who has an idea?

Regards, Cornman

 

[archmoco]

Cornman,

I know very little about them, Tony or Dutch wil be able to tell you more, but it looks like a 'wire-cutting' round. The steel rod would tumble when it left the barrel, I believe they were meant to be fired in mass at a barbed wire entanglement to clear a path for the soldiers to move through. I believe the bolt had to be removed to load the round. I read somewhere that they where not that effective, and I thought they where used only up to WW1, however your case is dated 1936, lot nr 161,manufactured by Polte, brass cased (S*).
Any chance you can scan the headstamp, it would be interesting to see if it has been reloaded.

 

[451kr]

The steel rod in the picture looks like a tube , so it is not a wire cutting round. ( Only made in WW1 ). In WW1 they used flare cartridges with a long tube,but these where made from brass. ( Not used in WWII )
The P in the headstamp is from Polte they made nothing exiting in 1936. To my opinion its home made but for what ??????

Regards 451kr.

 

[archmoco]

found a description here of the flare cartridge, could it have been an experiment to copy?

The "bullet" is a brass tube of 7.2mm internal diameter reaching to the shorts. Overall length: 106mm. Composed of a propellant charge of black powder mixed with nitrocellulose (14 mm.), A black powder charge that provides the ignition delay and illuminating the compound (10 mm), loading illuminating (2.65 gr., 49mm, consisting of 52.6% barium nitrate, 39.2% aluminum and coal), lead bullet of 5.2 g (14 mm) and filled with cardboard and clay cap (15mm).

http://www.municion.org/

 

[451kr]

I think not , the flare cartridges what you describe is from WWI , in WWII they had plenty other flare cartridges used in flare pistols.

Regards 451kr.

 

[Chris 42 RQ]

A bit of a shot in the dark here but could it be an "underwater" bullet ?
The underwater projectiles tend to be heavier and longer than standard ball and some have been hollow !

 

[cornman]

Thanks for the posts so far. The `bullet` is indeed al hollow tube, not a solid rod. Maybe the round is made up like the way it is now, but than it has been done in or very short after the war.
@ 451kr; are there blanks known with this headstamp? Maybe the wood projectile has been removed and the tube has inserted?
Thare are no damages to the casing and the tube fits in the casing perfect, it even looks crimped in te case.
I can`t find evidence on the case that it has been reloaded.

Regards, Cornman

 

[451kr]

CORNMAN,

Can you post a picture of the headstamp??

451kr.

 

[Dutch]

The head stamp is common.

 

[orpheus72]

Cornman,

I'm quite sure it is a signal-leuchtpatrone

Geert.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

I forget what colour is supposed to be produced but barium compounds are used in signal flares.

 

[Dutch]

Cornman,

I'm quite sure it is a signal-leuchtpatrone

Geert.

At the time the 7,9 flare rounds came to the front in WW1, they were already overhauled.

The Germans introduced a Kal. 4 flair pistol.
After many years of collecting I only found one 7,9 WW1 flair cartridge. A good friend of my, specialized in WW1 ammo have some more in different variations.

The cartridge introduced here by Cornman will stay a mystery for a wile.