Original Items: Only One Lot of 10 Available. This lovely grouping is perfect for the young ordnance collector needing a place to start. Here we have 10 artillery shell casings and fuzes, all inert/deactivated in accordance per the current standards set by the BATF. All items are no longer live nor are they able to be used as a destructive device.

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The U.S. Army Field Artillery branch traces its origins to 17 November 1775 when the Continental Congress unanimously elected Henry Knox "Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery". The regiment formally entered service on 1 January 1776. During the 19th Century a total of seven Artillery regiments were formed which contained a mixture of "heavy" artillery companies and "light" artillery batteries. The light artillery batteries took the role of field artillery although they did not use that designation. The seven artillery regiments were designated as regiments of artillery and were not distinguished as being either "coast" or "field" artillery as was the practice in the 20th Century.

In the reorganization of the Army by the Act of 2 February 1901, the seven Artillery regiments were reorganized as the Artillery Corps. The Corps was split into 195 battery-sized units, called companies at the time, of Field Artillery and Coast Artillery. In 1907 the Artillery Corps was reorganized into the Field Artillery and the Coast Artillery Corps. Although presently Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery are separate branches, both inherit the traditions of the Artillery branch.

In 1907, the Field Artillery companies of the Artillery Corps were organized into six Field Artillery regiments. In 1916, as the United States was preparing for its eventual entry into World War I, these six regiments were supplemented by 15 more Field Artillery regiments. During World War I numerous other Field Artillery Regiments were organized in the National Guard and National Army, which were mobilized to supplement the Regular Army.

The Items In This Lot:
- (2) M20 Recoilless Rifle 75mm M31A1 Shell Casings Dated 1953 (16” Tall): The M20 recoilless rifle is a U.S. 75 mm caliber recoilless rifle T21E12 that was used during the last months of the Second World War and extensively during the Korean War. It could be fired from an M1917A1 .30 caliber machine gun tripod, or from a vehicle mount, typically a Jeep. Its shaped charge warhead, also known as HEAT, was capable of penetrating 100 mm of armor. Although the weapon proved ineffective against the T-34 tank during the Korean War and most other tanks, it was used primarily as a close infantry support weapon to engage all types of targets including infantry and lightly armored vehicles. The M20 proved useful against pillboxes and other types of field fortifications.

- (2) M102 Howitzer 105mm M14B4 Shell Casings, 1 Dated 1974 and 1 Marked USAF (14 ⅝” Tall): The M102 105 mm howitzer is used in air mobile (helicopter), attack plane, and light infantry operations. The weapon carriage is lightweight welded aluminum, mounted on a variable recoil mechanism. The weapon is manually loaded and positioned, and can be towed by a 2-ton truck or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), can be transported by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, or can be dropped by parachute with airborne units. When emplaced, the howitzer's high volume of fire compensates in large measure for the lower explosive weight of the projectile compared to the Army's 155 mm and 8-inch howitzers. Since 1964, the Army acquired 1,150 M102 towed howitzers. The weapon is being replaced by the M119-series 105 mm howitzer.

- Bofors 40mm MK3 Mod 0 Shell Casing (12 ¼” Tall): The Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60 is an anti-aircraft autocannon, designed in the 1930s by the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors. In order to supply both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy with much greater numbers of the guns, Chrysler built 60,000 of the guns and 120,000 barrels through the war, at half the original projected cost, and filling the Army's needs by 1943. Over the lifetime of the production, their engineers introduced numerous changes to improve mass production, eventually halving the overall time needed to build a gun. Most of the changes were in production methods rather than the design of the gun itself. York Safe & Lock also produced the weapons, though its attempts to coordinate drawings across the program were unsuccessful, and this responsibility was transferred to the Naval Gun Factory in July 1943.

- (2) Bofors 40mm MK3 Shell Casing Decor (13 ½” Tall): We are not sure what these were used for but they appear to be either candlestick holders or just standalone items with wood bases.

- M48 Series Point Detonating Fuze (Dummy): The M48 series point detonating fuzes offer selection between superquick or 0.05 second delay action, and are used primarily to detonate Smoke, WP ammunition in calibers 75mm, 90mm and 4.2-inch.

The M48 series fuzes have a PD head assembly containing a firing pin held in position by a firing pin support which prevents initiation of Detonator M24 until impact. The fuze body contains an M1 delay plunger assembly and an interrupter assembly with a setting sleeve which provides a means of setting or selecting fuze PD (Super Quick Action) or delay functioning The delay plunger assembly includes a firing pin and Delay Element M2. The delay element includes Primer M54, a black powder delay charge and Relay M7. The delay plunger assembly of the M48A2 fuze comes with delay times of 0.05 seconds or 0.15 seconds, the time delay being stamped on the fuze body. The head assembly is attached to the body by means of the flash tube which also positions the fuze windshield or ogive. The ogive is a thin-walled steel stamping utilized to provide an aerodynamic shape to the fuze.

The M48A3E2 is designated M572E1 when assembled with Booster M125A1.

- M524A6 Dummy Fuse Dated 1972: The M524 series point detonating fuze is used to detonate HE, M362 or Smoke WP, M374 or M375 ammunition fired from 81mm mor­tars. The fuze is dual purpose, designed to func­tion on impact or graze with superquick action or 0.05 second delay.

The fuze has an aluminum body threaded externally to fit the round and internally to accept a tetryl booster. The nose of the fuze is a spring loaded striker with a slot for selection of superquick or delay action. Depending on that selection, either detonation train within the fuze body is initiated by independent firing pins. The SQ train consists of Detonator M63 and has a detonator lead charge. The delay train includes primer and delay charge M2. Either train fired Detonator M80 and a booster lead charge to detonate the tetryl booster in the base. The fuze is bore safe by means of a delayed arming mechanism consisting of a spring loaded rotor released by setback upon weapon firing and a timing device. Two safety pins* are provided, one to secure the internal plunger and one to secure the setback arming device. A pull wire connects the pins for removal before firing.

Army Models M524A5 and M524A6 incor­porate the second safety pin retaining the plunger and provide that the pin cannot be removed if the arming mechanism starts inadvertently. The models are similar except that Fuze M524A6 requires greater setback force to arm. Models M524A1, M524A2, M524A3 and M524A4 are for USN and USMC use only, and have only one safety pin (arming). Fuzes M524A1 and M524A4 incorporate design differ­ences but function similarly. The delay charge in Fuze M524A2 is replaced by a non-delay ele­ment. Fuze M524A3 is capable only of superquick action.

- Artillery Shell Nose Cone With M73 Dummy Fuse: The M73 Dummy Fuse smulates the following PD fuzes: M48 Series, M51 Series, M535, M557, M572.

All items come more than ready for display.