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Unknown Projectile

J

jamespattman

Member
Hello and a Happy New Year,

I have had this projectile or "shell" since about June last year after being handed it by my grandad on the way to Bovington Tank Museum.

I have done a bit of research and all I could find was references to the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle, which i have heard a few stories about.

I would be gratefull if anyone could shed any light on what it is and was fired from.

The only distinguishing mark is an anchor on the brass sleve.

And correct me if im wrong, is the sleve to protect the barrel?


Many thanks,
 

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It looks like a Japanese 47mm Gun Boat Round - Here attached is a picture for reference.
 

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47 MM Hotchkiss APHE

Ammocat has it exactly right=47 mm Hotchkiss, British manufactured and exported to the Japanese Navy (hence the Anchor symbol) and it will be an APHE with a removeable Base plug which is threaded to the shell and base fuze.
 
Thankyou, (I was completely wrong lol).

There is a threaded hole in the bottom.

What material is it made from, The man who found it said he thought it was tungsten.
 
It would have most likely been cast steel. Tungsten wasn't really in use for penetrator type projectiles till WWII. Your projo was popular from before early 1900 maybe up through WWI.
 
47mm

these 47mm shells and their cases are quite common in Britain but nobody is sure why as they shouls all have gone to Japan around 1904. The brass sleeve around your shel is to give a soft material to deform or engage the rifling in the gun barrel and allow it to spin theshell as it rtravels up the barrel. Copper was also used for this purpose. 2pr
 
Chilled C.I.

The projectile is almost certainly made from "Chilled Cast Iron" the "Chilled" bit being the heat treatment that makes it so hard and suitable for an Armour Piercing projectile !
The Driving Band material is plain Brass with a fairly high Copper content.

The screw in base plug that you will have on your projectile will be a high grade of steel.
 
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