Anyone know what this is?

[DesertRick]

Found this locking "key" (can't think of the proper name). It would probably slip over a cylinder to keep it in place (the fuse of a shell?). No ID marks on it.


On the inside it is beveled.


Could be for use for a 105mm or 155mm, as I found it in the sand where I get my cloverleafs and I can't remember which fibre tube stack I found it by.

Thanks,

Rick

Click here to see my cloverleafs, etc. for sale here

[W. Winget]

At first I thought it may be part of a shell shipping component, but then I recalled my Mine training.
Looks more like the safety for a AT pressure mine fuze. The M14 AP model is newer but you can see the similarity in the shipping safety clip.
I'd search for period type US mines if you want specifics, but I can't spend that time right now.
V/R W Winget

[DesertRick]

Thanks for the info...I know it's a key of some type, either a safety or to hold something in place. I started looking at pictures of aircraft bomb fuses and found something similar. It had a long tab attached to the top, then it was bent 90 degrees with a string attached to it. I'll keep looking online and take my sifter and MD out there next time.

Rick

[Packhow75]

Very similar to the fuse clip which holds the 75mm fuse in place in the end of the 75mm fibre ammo tube... stops it moving around.

I have pictures of those somewhere - it slides into grooves on each side of the fuse.

Tim

[DesertRick]

Hi Tim!
That's mostly what I was thinking, but thought maybe the fuses were shipped separately and those keys would hold them in place and stop them from rolling around. I'd seen pics of a slot on some fuses where that key would've fit, but thought that slot might've been for a tool to screw the fuse on (this pic is just for an example. I notice the slot is beveled just like the key)-


I pulled out my 75mm tube cutaway and found that it would fit perfectly against the wooden nose holder-


Hope you find those pics...I'd like to see some pictures of how exactly it was used.

Thanks,

Rick

[Packhow75]

Pics of clip for 75mm Shells.

FuseClip75mm.jpg (103.45 KiB) Viewed 1275 times

FuseClip75mm2.jpg (36.4 KiB) Viewed 1275 times

Tim

[DesertRick]

Just to finish this off, I found this scan online-


with the following text-
"In the smaller calibers, other components and rounds of artillery ammunition are packed in a slip-cover fiber container of the mailing tube type. For further protection, rounds assembled with point-fuzed projectiles may have U-shaped packing stops fitted into the fuze wrench slots. These must be removed before firing."



These scans from the manual are small and don't reproduce well when enlarged. Can anyone scan the top image from the manual and either email it to me, or post it here? It's from TM9-1901, page 36.

Thanks,

Rick