Some of my collection

[zephyr4]

Nice shell's, Matt L I like the cut out. I have these flak 38 drill round's which are in near new condition.

Waffen Mark.
WaA201. 201 P490 20mm case Hugo Schneider Altenburg (Th) 1939 – 40 Flak-38 2cm round.
Headstamp: P490 is Hasag

[Matt L]

Thanks Matt. I've got another one to post soon. It's my birthday, so I have just bought myself a complete Flak 88 shell

Well happy birthday and that's a very nice present I'm a big fan of the '88- I once had 7 of them, but I'm down to 4 really cool ones...

[shadowwolf]

zephyr4, Ive never seen a flak 38 drill round before. It is in good condition. Thanks for sharing.

[Matt L]

I don't know if anyone else chose to use wood projectiles in their live training fire rounds- but the Germans did. I've only seen them in rifle calibre and these light anti-aircraft though; and I've never quite understood the training benefit of having ammunition that would fire but not shoot a useful projectile (surely wood doesn't fly like lead or steel). It's an easy spot though to distinguish these 'blank' rounds from the usual inert training rounds since the latter usually employ a fired case and have a solid turned steel head that is coloured gray and has forward-pointing arrows stamped into it around its circumference as a further indicator.

[Steve T]

...... but not shoot a useful projectile (surely wood doesn't fly like lead or steel).

You are correct Matt. Wood doesn't fly like lead or steel. These 'projectiles' were designed to disintegrate before they even left the barrel. The ones I have a very flimsy balsa wood.

Maybe they did it to ensure they acted like live ammo during training when cycling a cartridge through a chamber. One would think the characteristics of a crimped blank without a projectile would be different to a live round.

Anyways....that's my thoughts

Cheers

Steve T

[zephyr4]

They were probably used too speed up training on loading and getting on target without the problem of the projectile flying a mile or so.

[Matt L]

Oh that's right- it's been so long since I saw one of these I'd forgotten they were balsa wood so of course they'd come out of the barrel as harmless sawdust likely if anything at all So they're just for 'simulation'- all the sound and movement of firing without the danger of projectiles; they are 'blanks' then for sure, just not the type we know with the crimped end.

[shadowwolf]

I thought that drill rounds were manufactured inert for practice in weapon handling and drill. Is there a possibility that the wooden headed drill rounds, made during the war, were made to save money and materials much needed for the war effort?

[zephyr4]

The projectiles in the shells I have are not balsa wood and I dont think they were manufactured inert because the other round I have has an unfired primer.

[Matt L]

I thought that drill rounds were manufactured inert for practice in weapon handling and drill. Is there a possibility that the wooden headed drill rounds, made during the war, were made to save money and materials much needed for the war effort?

Nope, I described a drill round two posts ago- turned steel head, arrow markings, etc. Iro wasn't a strategic metal- the Germans actually turned to using steel for cartridge casings (like this flak one actually) because it was plentiful enough.

As for the 'projectile' not being balsa always that's not surprising- it probably wouldn't matter as the pressure created even by a partial charge in the large case- one enough to operate the action- would surely splinter most any wood...