I am reading Blood Red Snow and the author mentions using enamelled steel cartridges with his heavy machine gun, which more often than not got stuck in the barrel.
Why would these be used instead of brass cartridges?
Nick
I am reading Blood Red Snow and the author mentions using enamelled steel cartridges with his heavy machine gun, which more often than not got stuck in the barrel.
Why would these be used instead of brass cartridges?
Nick
"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem
Hi Nick, the simple answer is metal shortages. Brass or gilding metal was in short supply, so lacquered steel cases became the norm for most cartridges as the war dragged on.
For example here are some (inert) 1945 dated MP44 rounds from my collection.
Cheers, Ade.
Thanks Ade. So were these rounds used by other armies?
Nick
"In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem
Hi Nick, yes, lacquered steel cases became the norm within the Soviet Bloc after the war.
Western Armies still tended to use brass.
Cheers, Ade.
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