Artillery Projectile. What type?

[USdog]

I picked this up today not knowing what it was besides that it was a projectile of some kind. Can anyone tell me what I have here? Type/era??

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[USdog]

Sorry about the title Tapatalk messed it up.

[Bodes]

Maybe a navy 3" or army 76mm....Bodes

[greasemonkey247]

wrap a string around the mid section or on the rotating band and measure the circumference of the shell using the string and then divide that number by 3.14 and then convert to mm and that should get you into the ball park of the shell. Could be a 90mm HE Shell

[917601]

More dimensions needed. Is it 75mm or 76mm? or 90mm? The driving band does not match my WW2 Navy 3" or Army 3" ( 76mm).

[USARV72]

A tip for measuring ODs( outside diameters), hold tape on exactly the 1” mark, that way one can get almost exact measurement other than using calipers. End clip on Most tapes are bent so unless measuring a very thin item you will not get correct measurement. By chance collecting ORD., go to harbour freight or similar and buy a cheap pair of plastic calipers, easy to use.

[greasemonkey247]

the bottom is tapered, so he wont get the correct OD on it from the bottom

[USdog]

I just did the measurements/calculation and it’s 90mm. Does that help?

[USdog]

I think I found it here.

 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ww2-90-mm-artillery-shell-projectile-1787829115

[USdog]

So is this a WWII era projectile?

[USdog]

I also found this. Same projectile?

 

http://bulletpicker.com/cartridge_-90mm-he_-m71.html

 

http://bulletpicker.com/projectile_-90mm-he_-m71.html

[917601]

You have a 90mm M71 HE. With no markings just above the driving band means it was a manufacture reject. Date? Impossible to tell, they were used thru the 80's. I see a "R42" marking in yours, it is an inspector's number stamp, most likely the R would mean reject, inspector 42, any more markings? Most rejects I see are stamped mid way like yours, some have RJCT, some have X marks....rejects were given to employees, bond drives, awards, etc by the factory. As "giving away" rejects to employees was common thru Korea, it could still possibly date to WW2. I have this 1943 dated one from a Joliet Arsenal employee relative, it is stamped correctly and crimped in place, however, the brass case headcase has no markings. Markings were stamped in only when passing dimensional checks, and moved down the assy line for filling with propellant or Explosive.

[917601]

Driving band

[917601]

Last

[917601]

Last thought, mine has three inspector stamps on the body, sure nothing is stamped on the base or elsewhere? I would go ahead and paint it OD, find a PD fuze, and a case. Steel ( laquered steel- honey brown) or brass, both were being used by the end of the war. The M71 HE is not rare to find, but getting harder to find, worth completing it before components disappear from the market. It is one of the most appealing tank rounds. I have recently seen a 50's dated ( put together- fuze, case, projo all widely dated) complete one with steel case bring $350, plus shipping. A nice WW2 one should bring $450-$600 depending if original paint, brass case, etc.

[USdog]

No other markings on it unfortunately. Too bad there is no other way to date it. But probably WWII-Korea you’re saying?

[917601]

No other markings on it unfortunately. Too bad there is no other way to date it. But probably WWII-Korea youre saying?

What I am saying is WW2 just past Korea era rejects were commonly given to employees, or grabbed from the scrap piles. I have seen a few later dated ones (60's ) also, but that is when defense plants tightened up and started scrapping out instead of giving away. The most M71 HE I have seen are from the mid 1950's- 60's. No 100 percent way to tell with out a date stamp.

[USdog]

Got it. Thanks!

[917601]

Here is a 1956 dated practice round, steel case from an Internet dealer. He is asking 350 plus shipping, shipping probably about $60 with insurance.

[USdog]

Is the fuze hard to find?

[USARV72]

the bottom is tapered, so he wont get the correct OD on it from the bottom

Yes not correct for a tapered projectile, anyone would/ should know this but for straight body projectiles measuring the bottom use the 1 mark. As posted, go buy cheap plastic calipers, easy to read.