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Posted: 5/20/2010 6:00:20 PM EDT
I found someone locally that wants to sell a 37mm anti tank shell, this is all he knows about it: 37mm m17 b1 shell 1943 apparently he found the shell back in 1980 and drilled a hole in it to drain the powder out, the shell still has a live primer, no idea if it is a solid warhead or a explosive one. I'm kind of thinking it is a HE shell due to the yellow paint. I'm also thinking it may be from a auto style gun due to the rim, most of the breach loader shells have are rimmed like in the bottom picture. So what do you guys think? solid projectile or is it HE and I should stay away? Is there any good reference guides out there or other forums with more information out there? He wants $25 for it.
It also looks a lot like the top one in the picture minus the yellow markings on the warhead part, however the shell casing rims are different. 
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I can't give any particlars on the shell other than it looks like it is solid shot. Not much room in it for HE.
If you want to know anything about ammunition go to Tony Williams website . It is amazing the amount of information he has, and he helps write for Jane's. |
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Quoted:
Thanks. The tip is close to the size of a 203 round, plenty of explosive to kill you if there is any. Right, but look how much charge is behind the shell. High velocity guns of WWII vintage made poor/barely adequate HE shells b/c the lining required (ie thick) to keep up with the velocities left little room for HE filler. That shell has a bit more charge behind it than a M203 40mm round. Think of it this way, Panther's 75mm canon=great armor killer, higher velocity than a Tiger's 88mm but not a great HE shell. Sherman 75mm= great HE thrower, but not a 'great' armor killer. |
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Without actually seeing the item, the best I can come up with is that it is a 37x223 cartridge with an APC-T projectile that was designed to be fired from the M1A2 automatic AA gun, which was used during WWII and the Korean War. The 37mm anti-tank gun used the M16 rimmed cartridge case while the semi-rim cartridge case shown is the M17 used in the AA gun. The two were not interchangeable.
The items shown in the illustration and the one shown in the photograph are not the same. Note the different bases on the cartridge cases. ADDED: I missed that the OP pointed this out. 
AA = Anti-Aircraft. APC-T = Armor Piercing Capped - Tracer. The AA gun also used an HEI-T (High Explosive Incendiary - Tracer) round. The ballistic cap appears to be missing from the projectile. An APC-T projectile would not contain any explosive material, just a tracer in the base. DO NOT RELY ON MY LONG DISTANCE EDUCATED GUESS. |
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