Jack Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 During WW2 and bearing in mind the raw material shortage, did anyone, where possible, recycle spent cartridges/shells? Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I'm not sure about the Army, but the bombers would certainly bring back a large number of empty cases which needed to be cleaned out after a mission. What happened to them after that I don't know. Crashed airframes from both sides were recycled. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Artillery shell cases were often reloaded,smaller ammo cases usually went back to the smelter. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Artillery shell cases were often reloaded,smaller ammo cases usually went back to the smelter. Matt. I'd guess that the expansion of say a tank round case into the breech during firing would affect a large calibre round less than say a rifle round. I assume that they are made of brass so that they expand to ensure a gas-tight seal. Chieftain fired a 120mm round propelled by a bag-charge (no brass cases to clutter the bottom of the turret after firing - everything went downrange except for a vent tube like a blank which detonated the cordite in the bag charge. The Chieftain gun was unbelievably complicated by its need for an obturator to seal the breech before firing, as there was no brass case to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 A friend of mine was in Vietnam in 1969-70 and he tells me his battery(who were equipped with 105 Howitzers),were still getting brass shell cases with 44 and 45 dates on them,although the later steel shell cases were also supplied. I know that .50 cases can be reloaded,depending on the condition of the case,how many times it's been used etc. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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