Sqeeeeze!

[TonyE]

Here is a small conundrum from the fields of France. These are two 8mm Lebel bullets, the left hand one normal, but as you can see the right hand one has been elongated by being forced through something.

There are still some rifling marks present and the base of the bullet still carries the maunufacturer and date. I can only think that it hit a sniper shield or similar which already had a hole in it and in one of those strange tricks of fate this bullet was swaged through, stretching it.

Regards
TonyE

 

[Jimiles]

Strange!! Are they both the same weight Tony?

Jim

 

[smle2009]

Hi TonyE,
Did the French use a 'bullet trap' type of rifle grenade during WWI? just a guess and I would have thought it would deform the bullet in the opposite way,but I not 'clued up' on the mechanics of these types of grenades

Cheers
Tony

 

[Dronic69]

Hi Tony,

If memory serves me correctly, the French VB rifle grenade was projected by a normal ball round - it certainly had a central hole through it and a small lever on the inside which triggered the fuse on firing.

[My small lot of 30+ grenades (including a VB) have long gone......]

The only "VB" around here now is the Victorian VB beer!!!! (and you don't need a ball round to fired that off!!! LOL)
Cheers
Drew

 

[jonnyc]

Mmmmmm......I loved VB and MB, the only Aussie beers worth drinking...at least back in the early '80s.

Back to ammo. Tony, is that squeezed round still a nominal 8mm? If not, what is the diameter?

 

[Tony Williams]

Looks a bit like those wire-cutting bullets the Germans made in 7.9mm calibre.

 

[paul the grenade]

Ive just tried a bullet in a VB and it fits through with a small gap all round so its not caused by a grenade launch.
Paul.