Another for the collection

[CINDERS]

Picked this up the other day a 2pdr solid prac round dated 9/41 with I gather in the red oxide paint prior to being painted its correct colour scheme for prac rounds. Has A.N on it as well I am unsure whether this denoted the manufacturer of Australian Navy?

It had slipped through the net and another kind member put me on to it with the desired result albeit a bit more than what I expected to pay the seller has been off loading these for a while so may be getting low.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Climax Rock Drill from Cambourne in Dorset made approx 1 million solid 2 pounder projectiles during the war. Marked with their CRD initials. If they sound familiar that's because they made Mk2 Bren barrels too

[browningautorifle]

Very nice projectile. What's the color code on this one?

[Peter Laidler]

I spoke to an old wartime employee from CRD during the Bren bren book research and he told me how they rolled the driving bands on. It was slightly over width for the recess and slid over the projectile like a er........, condom. Positioned over the recess by the jaws of the rotating machine and 6 large equidistant taper wheeled jaws (3 on each side) came down hydraulically onto the spinning projectile and squeezed the ends of the driving band tightly into the slot in the projectile*. Because the band was very slightly wider, when the taper wheels came down they spread the copper band so that it expanded outwards/upwards slightly at the middle section. So they got a perfect shape to a) lock into the recess b) be held fxxxxxg tight and c) perfect shape to take the rifling. Sorry to go off at a tangent with another bit of absolutely useless info.....
*otherwise the driving band would rotate in the barrel but the projectile wouldn't rotate due to, er........ weight, mass and physics!

Great to speak to this old shop foreman. Alas, the private and never before photos of the Bren barrel and parts shop are lost..........

[Flying10uk]

Alas, the private and never before photos of the Bren barrel and parts shop are lost..........

Does this mean that your Bren book will have to be abandoned, Peter, or will you still be able to get it published?

[browningautorifle]

Positioned over the recess by the jaws of the rotating machine and 6 large equidistant taper wheeled jaws (3 on each side) came down hydraulically onto the spinning projectile and squeezed the ends of the driving band tightly into the slot in the projectile.

Makes sense too, slightly larger but narrower and when pressed on and rolled wider it took a perfect fit.

[CINDERS]

I often wondered how they got the bands on the rounds I thought they heated them then shrunk fitted, thanks Peter.
I have no idea what the colour scheme would be on this one Jim perhaps a forumer can give me some direction on it, but I feel that it has been like this since manufacture so will leave it otherwise it is something its not.

[browningautorifle]

the colour scheme

There's a whole forum on ammo elsewhere but still I couldn't find this one. I will though. I have to repaint my own here...

[CINDERS]

Jim when you find out the colour/s and serifs on the projetile let us know and I will see what colours I still have and what I would need to make it up to spec if I decide to go that way Cheers.

[browningautorifle]

find out the colour/s and serifs on the projetile

I shall...