Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum
Relic Discussion => Artillery => Topic started by: joevann on January 15, 2013, 10:05:59 PM
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An 1878 Bormann made at Washington Navy Yard
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The igniting mechanism from an "improved" Boxer fuze about 1896. Used in 3-inch breech-loading Hotchkiss shrapnel rounds.
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An internal Hotchkiss fuze from a steel 1-pounder. Made by Winchester. This fuze screws into the inside of the base plate. This projectile had been in brackish water so long only the rifling band and this fuze were left. All steel components had been reduced to soft carbon.
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Fascinating revelations. Thank you!
Best regards,
Pete
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how does the Boxer fuze work ??
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These are Hotchkiss nose fuzes uded in cast iron shells 6-pdr and 3-pdr respectively. Both made in Paris
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These are British Mark III Hotchkiss dase fuzes for AP shells. They have the EOC stamp for "Elswick Ordnance Company". Note the overstamp "PLUG". In 1910, the Navy required that all shipping plugs be marked as such due to several accidents. Aparrently the ordnance workers of this time failed to recognize that these were actually live fuzes and not simply shipping plugs. Unfortunately, most ordnance workers are only knowledgeble about what they work with themselves and fail to study history and obsolete items. As EOD we had to be able to know not only why something works, but why it failed to work and to recognize the origin and use of an item by it's characteristics. In otherwords, you may not have seen a particular fuze, but you immediately recognize it's function and country of origin or development. This is actually easier in old ordnance and the distinctions between countries are rather blurred today. I used to work with several QUASAs (Quality Assuance Specialist, Ammunition) They thought they knew everything about ordnance, and they were very knowledgable about what was in service and storage during their lifetimes. However, according to some of them, all 37mm ammunition were anti-aircraft projectiles. Of course, we know that the 37mm projectile dates to the St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868 where the signatories decided to ban any explosive projectile of less than 400 grams (14 ounces) in civilised warfare.
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Navy Major and Minor caliber base fuzes. Yes, that was the official designation, 'Navy Base Fuze'.
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Joe,
Do you have a line drawing of the improved Boxer fuze?
I thought the time fuse with the dome head was the improved Boxer fuse.??
Regards,
John
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Yep. I'll email it to you.
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If I may be permitted to presume on your generosity... please make and post photos showing the "other end" of the last six fuzes you've posted.
Thanks,
Pete
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curiosity got to me, and I google mapped Mare Island [ which might or might not be truly an island]. I always thought it was some offshore island in the ocean, not sitting in a bay like it is. Anyway, I did the satellite picture searching and zoomed in on the south end, and lo and behold !! I saw a bunch of our members out there with what looked like ' minesweepers' and a whole bunch of dig holes !! One car had Ill. plates, anothe Georgia and a third NC tags !! Couldn't see faces - they got pixeled out - but I think I can guess who it was .......
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With buckets full of brass fuzes too! :)
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I only had the one bucket with me today...
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Dou't you just hate people who brag? :)
John
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Yes, they are obnoxious, but this is a cry for help. I need another bucket, my back is sore from all the bending over to pick up fuses (so many if no centercap I just toss them back in the river), and I also need help to keep the Plumber away from my new found dig site as he seems to have satellites tracking my movements.
Just waiting on the folks from Weston to show up with a big, fat Superfund check for all this hazardous ordnance I've cleared for them.
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Mike, I don't have satellites tracking you. What I do is put the tail number in the FAA registery for your personal Lear jet which shows current flight plan status and location. Then I contact some of my plumber ' brothers' out there in the sunshine state and they take a triangulation off your GPS in your phone [ since you are calling people and selling the fuzes as you dig them right out of the ground ! ] and from that we can all follow your buying and digging [ digging = typically in people's garages and attics ] adventures. Here at MW Tracking Cental we have a map of the world mounted on the wall and there sure are alot of thumbtacks all over the deep south from places you have 'struck'. But interestingly - there are no pins in Eastern NC. The people here can't figure this phenonama [ sp. ] out..... but, we have had time to organize and form a militia to protect our relics from the onslaught we know is sure to come !!
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Ah, Freud would have had a field day with you.
Sadly, I am too late -- there already is a guy from Chicago coming to take your munitions away. I know because I get eMails forwarded every day from Selma Hunter and ETEX telling me this is happening.
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I almost forgot about the Schenkls that have created such a fuss!
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Now you've done it, Joe. The Plumber is going to turn all green and go into a frenzy...
(http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff458/emike123/DSCN1540_zps8c26574e.jpg)
(http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff458/emike123/DSCN1541_zpsc179aff4.jpg)
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Dave, see what you started. :-\
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Mike,
Are the above Schenkls yours?
John
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Yes John they are, but I did not dig them at Mare Island. Been sitting here freezing my tail off in Illinois all along.
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But they did come from Mare Island? Its 80 here in sunny Florida. :'(
Obnoxious.