KZ14 fuze cap indents....

[starshell]

Hi,
Would anyone here know if certain German KZ14 fuzes used on 7.7cm shells had four small indents evenly spaced around the fuze cap? I have seen one dated 1915 and marked KZ14 with such indents and can't be certain if they were a result of being tampered with post war or were a factory feature when made.
I'm assuming it was to allow for better impact properties? Was this an early feature? Most of my later KZ14's have no such thing.

Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers!

 

[Alpini]

Pictures please, I am not sure what you mean?

 

[starshell]

Hi Alpini,

Hope this helps....
Many thanks.

 

[Alpini]

Sorry, nothing I have seen before or heard/read about. The cap is also deformated (flat surface on top).

Could it be indentions from the ammunition exploding inside it's package?

 

[MINENAZ16]

Never seen before, even on battlefields relics

 

[starshell]

I'm really not sure.....
Maybe a German gunner trying his hand at some improvement??? I thought also someone trying to remove the cap with a hammer/chisel, but the indents are a bit to perfectly 'engineered'.
I agree that the cap is pretty flat. Perhaps the shells target created these little marks?
Maybe we'll never know.....
Many thanks!

 

[Alpini]

Maybe a German gunner trying his hand at some improvement???

I am sure for such an improvement - made on a live shell - he would have ended up several days in jail ;-)

 

[starshell]

I am sure for such an improvement - made on a live shell - he would have ended up several days in jail ;-)

Or in a box in the ground...:tinysmile_angry_t:

The mystery continues.
Many thanks Alpini and Minenaz16.