Question about Pak 43 & Kwk 43 cases : Only steel cases or brass cases exist ?

[kz11gr]

Hello

My question is in the title.

Have you seen some brass Pak/Kwk 43 cases ?

Personally I think these cases have always been made of steel.

regards

 

[kz11gr]

This seems to be a great mystery apparently

 

[greif]

I have seen many 8,8 cm Kwk 43 cases , but never one in brass.
I used to have an early one in my collection that was also from steel and marked 8,8 cm Kwk 42.
Perhaps this was a marking in the experimental phase of the gun and lacked the case number 6388St.

 

[Hoeksel]

I actually remember seeing a brass 8,8 cm KwK 43 marked bottom on an ordnance fair......I think I know who showed it, will ask.

 

[Hoeksel]

Already got an answer, a brass 8,8 cm KwK 43 does exist and was in the collection of Joop Dijkman (RIP).

 

[greif]

I thought I knew the German WW2 collection of Joop very well, because I did many restoration paint jobs for him , but never saw a brass Kwk 43 case in his collection. But I could be wrong.
Below a picture of the concerning case which is marked 8,8 cm KwK 42. The case is in the collection of Fjordhouse nowadays.

 

[Alpini]

Mass production of most tanks/guns with the KwK 34 started in 1944. In 1944 only case No. 6388 St (Steel) was made by the following companies:

DWM Borsigwalde
Metall u. Eisen GmbH Nuernberg (The example Greif posted)
Zieh- und Presswerk Enzesfeld
WMF Geislingen

Monthly production was between 150000 and 200000 pieces.

If any brass case exists, it's an early experimental one. Also it makes zero sense to start a mass production of such a large case in brass in the year 1943 where brass stocks already were very limited.