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20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?

Article about: My Great-Grandfather went right over to Germany after civilians were allowed. I'm not sure if he bought it or found it, but when he came back, it was on his shelf until he died. It ended up

  1. #11

    Default Re: 20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?

    Actually the projectile is often stamped as well ,the driving bands are sometimes marked,if its fuzed the fuze will be marked as well,,,these would all aid to giving you a postive identification of the complete round and not just the cartridge

  2. #12

    Default Re: 20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?

    hi nice 20mm shell you got there, I got a 20mm I dug up at the beach and still haven't successfuly identified what its from, it reads "BBC 20MM 1941" any chance anyone could help me? few pics of it ill upload with a size comparison pic beside my flare gun relic shells:
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture 20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?   20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?  


  3. #13

    Default Re: 20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?

    brataccas

    BBC is the code stamp for Bridgeport Brass Comp, Bridgeport, Conneticutt, USA. They made .50cal high velocity experimental rounds and 20mm Hispano-Suiza carts, of which yours is an example.

    You have only the bottom third of the cartridge, a common find on airfields, not so common on a beach. I have always assumed the majority of 'cut-through' 20mm carts I have were done deliberately by the aircrew making trench art objects. Some may have been cases that split in the breech, being removed by ground crew when the aircraft landed, and then disposed of. I find it interesting you have got a split case on a beach and can only assume that either the round has been smashed apart by the sea, or it was successfully ejected by the gun during a strafing run somewhere in the locality.

    I hope that helps

    Steve T

  4. #14

    Default Re: 20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?

    thanks for the info weird its got a spanish? name for it, trying to do some more research on it and it seems its from an anti aircraft gun or a spitfire? or it was used as both?

  5. #15

    Default Re: 20mm bring back, which weapon was it used in?

    It was used as both, although the Oerlikon 20mm was a much more common AA gun. Your cartridge is one from a Hispano-Suiza, not from an Oerlikon which show distinct differences. The rounds were not interchangable between weapons.

    The Hispano-Suiza HS-404 equipped virtually every British fighter aircraft during WW2 and, despite some early teething troubles with it, proved to be an extremely effective weapon. For example, the HS-404 was used in the Spitfire, Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest, Mosquito, Whirlwind, Beaufighter and P38 Lightning to name but a few. With the cartridge being found on a beach, I am more inclined to think it's from an aircraft rather than an AA gun as beaches were commonly used to mount strafing targets on, for the ground attack aircraft to practice on.

    Steve T

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