6 pounder shell casing - What do I have here?

Brookwood

Brookwood

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Hello Everyone

I'd appreciate some help here. I picked this up via a local estate sale - I know it is a 6 pounder from 1942, but that's about it. Artillery is way outside my sphere of knowledge and I would appreciate some help here identifying exactly what I've got and what I should ultimately do with it (local museum expressed interest in it).

Thanks in advance.

Brookwood.


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Thank you Gelmar. Is it museum worthy? What do the markings on the shell casing mean? ( E9 PX. (0) .....?) The "O" in the square? The "T" in the semi circle?

F (broad arrow) 59?


Brookwood
 
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Not museum worthy, really. This was a crazy common gun and shell. Used to be, you'd see them all over done up as standing ashtrays and umbrella/cane stands (attached to some sort of stabilizing base).

The F broad arrow 59, I'm pretty sure, means that it's Korea era production, accepted into Canadian ordinance. Not sure at all what the other stamps mean.

These guns were in service in large numbers for a LONG time. There's probably stacks of them in various ordinance sheds, mostly forgotten, all over Canda, the UK, Australia... Even the US (the US adopted the gun for a period during WWII).
 
6pr 7CWT MkI

A.P. - Armour Piercing
T (in semi-circle) - Tracer component on projectile
CF - Charge loaded with cordite / Full charge
RM/C - Robert Mitchell & Co., St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada. (manufacturer)

Not sure of the circle in square mark or the E 9 PX. CAN may stand for Canada.

Not all that uncommon, although it is nice to see it has not been polished thereby removing all the printed information on the case.
 
6 PR = 6 pounder (57mm)
7 CWT = 7 cwt (hundredweight), a reference to the lightweight gun carriage that carried this gun
I = Mark I case
Lot 62 = lot number for the case
CF = Cordite propellant
arrowhead symbol = government property mark
RM/C = manufactured by Robert Mitchell & Co., of St. Laurent, Quebec
1942 = year of manufacture
A.P. = armour piercing
 
APDS projectiles were developed for the 6 pdr in the mid-war timeframe which made it more effective. The 17pdr was a Tiger/Panther killer for the Brits/Canadians, even though it was mounted in the poorly protected Sherman. The 17 pdr was offered to the Americans who rejected it and suffered because of the lack of a suitable armor defeating gun on their Shermans.
 
purple said:
APDS projectiles were developed for the 6 pdr in the mid-war timeframe which made it more effective. The 17pdr was a Tiger/Panther killer for the Brits/Canadians, even though it was mounted in the poorly protected Sherman. The 17 pdr was offered to the Americans who rejected it and suffered because of the lack of a suitable armor defeating gun on their Shermans.
Click to expand...

The efficacy of the Sherman Firefly 17 pdr, in the context of US service, is a matter of debate. They did start converting a few very late in the war (in Europe), but none saw action.

fireflyus.jpg
 
grelmar said:
Not museum worthy, really. This was a crazy common gun and shell. Used to be, you'd see them all over done up as standing ashtrays and umbrella/cane stands (attached to some sort of stabilizing base).

The F broad arrow 59, I'm pretty sure, means that it's Korea era production, accepted into Canadian ordinance. Not sure at all what the other stamps mean.

These guns were in service in large numbers for a LONG time. There's probably stacks of them in various ordinance sheds, mostly forgotten, all over Canda, the UK, Australia... Even the US (the US adopted the gun for a period during WWII).
Click to expand...

Sunray...................is that you ??
 
XRCD011 said:
Sunray...................is that you ??
Click to expand...

ba-hah.

Yah, I messed up a couple points in there (late afternoon, not enough coffee - assume '59 was the manufacture date, an had a brainfart with the broad arrow vs. C Broad arrow). But nowhere near "Sunray" level.

Still and all, not a museum piece. Nice to have, if you collect them, but far from rare.
 
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