Is this an 88mm?

[badchild]

Would I be right in thinking this is a german 88? I can faintly make out a waffenamt stamp but other than that nothing.

[Matt L]

Nope, that's a 7,5cm Pak 40 round- Panzergrenate (armor-piercing). An 8,8cm is larger (of course), has a slight neck in the case and the projectile is more curving and has two driving bands; yours has a more angular cap and just one.

Attached is an 8,8cm Pzgr. Patr. 39/1 (repainted projectile)

[badchild]

Spot on my man
Thanks very much!

[Matt L]

You bet. That's a nice exmaple you have there- much intact paint and markings is great to see; don't ever 'restore' it LOL The case and projectile might not be original together though since the primer on the case seems to have a firing pin mark on it. Of course it could be that's how the primer was made safe- by actually firing it. Doesn't really matter either way though...

[badchild]

Thanks Matt, my Mum and Dad picked it up a while ago as a present, very thoughtful wasn't it lol? They know me well

[Matt L]

Woah, very nice gift LOL

[militarymania]

nice ordnance,,,

[wyngo]

.....excuse me...could be APHE PzGr39 without base fuze (removed), because tha body cavity is too larger for a tracer...and the body colour seems green with red markings; in the german colour code black with white markings, identified the APCBC or APC without explosive fillings!
Best regards, Francesco

[Matt L]

Well yes, Francesco, this is a 7,5cm Pzgr. 39 and technically all german solid shot AP rounds, of any calibre above 3cm, were APHE; all but the very earliest types above 5cm were virtually all APCBC as well (very early war 8,8cm Pzgr had no cap or ballistic cap, as an example of one exception). It's not green though, but black- only HE shells were green. Only the extremely rare 7,5cm Pzgr. 40 and 40 (W) had no bursting charge because the former had a tungsten carbide penetrator within the body, and the other was 'Weicheisen' - soft iron and served as essentially what is known as a 'wadcutter'- just a chunk of metal intended to either smash a big hole or cause a great deal of back spalling in its target. I don't know of either being used by the Pak though- my reference says they're for the KwK40 only.

[wyngo]

You are right, I have consulted my books and the APHE ammunitions, don't make exception to the German code of the colors.
Thank you for the competence and the professionalism' ....
Best regards, Francesco