US 37mm M1 ammunition

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Does anyone know anything about such a cartridge?

The case is a bottle-necked, "rimless" type, unlike the 37mm round for the dinky anti tank gun and the secondary armament in the M3 medium tank, etc..

Actually, the rim, at 2" / 51mm. is a bit larger than the rear of the case body; more of a "semi-rimmed" style.

Case length is 220mm / 8 11/16".

I only have a fired case, no projectile. In profile, it looks like a "real-man's" .30-06.

The head-stamping is VERY faint and there are coarse lathe-tool marks across the head. Probably WW2 "accelerated production.

US Navy, perhaps?. The only other 37mm that springs to mind is the one fitted to the P-39, which were operated in the area where this originated.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

I have one here... I also have the FM here if I needed. They weren't navy, they were everyone's.

[Bob Womack]

I grew up with a U.S. M80 tracer armor piercing projectile that I used as a paper weight.



It got lost when we broke up housekeeping at the family home and I've been looking for one ever since.

Bob

[browningautorifle]

a U.S. M80 tracer armor piercing projectile

That would be almost impossible to find again.

Here's some more info from the book to help the OP...saves me taking pics of it.

Help identifying excavated WW2 fired round - #5 by bdgreen - General Ammunition Discussion - International Ammunition Association Web Forum

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The thing with the one I have, is that is part of a piece of "trench-art", made by my Dad, the WW2 Australian vehicle mechanic. His workshop, part of an artillery Regiment, was stationed near Townsville, Queensland for quite a while, training for the invasion of Japan. It seems that, in their "down-time' there was a flourishing "cottage industry' making souvenirs both to send "to the folks back home", or as 'trade goods"; swapped with other units, both Oz and US, for whatever might be needed in the workshop or just took their fancy. If I can peel the photo off the phone, I will post it.

[Sapper740]

The M1 Autocannon was widely used by the U.S. Army in WWII mounted on a towed carriage or the M15 Motor Gun carriage.

[browningautorifle]

The case is a bottle-necked, "rimless" type, unlike the 37mm round for the dinky anti tank gun

So I actually showed you the wrong round, reading this again. I don't have the other, wish I did. Thing is, they use the same projectile and even share dimensions except the rim. Yes, they had those in the nose of the P39/P60 but I think it was shorter.

[browningautorifle]

Here's the easiest way to distinguish them for me...side by side.
3 U.S. 37mm rounds.
Far left is a 1942 brass M17 case with a 1943 M51B1 projectile.
Center is a 1943 steel M16 case with a 1941 M55A1 projectile.
Far right is a round for the M4 Auto Gun as used in the Bell P-39 Airacobra & later on the Navy's PT boats. The case is not dated & the projectile is also a M55A1 dated 1941.

Second pic is marked.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

"Trench Art" 37mm case "dinner gong.



The frame is 1/8" steel welding rod.

The "mallet" is assembled from a couple of fired .30-06 cases, a length of approx 5/16" brass rod an a .30 Cal bullet.

The base had small rubber feet, but they perished decades ago.

[browningautorifle]

Yep, M17 case. Love to find one of those too. Nicely done with great history.