MikeyH Posted 15 August , 2020 Share Posted 15 August , 2020 (edited) Seen on a well known on line auction portal. Any ideas what the item top left is? The 4 'rounds' are one piece hollow castings, two seem to be aluminium and two steel. They are connected by a metal strip, which is articulated and hinges in to abut the steel cylinder which has various perforations and sits on a base with a key slot through it. Mike. Edited 15 August , 2020 by MikeyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 15 August , 2020 Share Posted 15 August , 2020 Boyfriend's first impression was some sort of grenade launcher, but then no... too big and the articulations don't fit... he's going to forward the question on a weapon's forum. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 15 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2020 (edited) To give a sense of scale, the 'bayonet' is a miniature letter opener. Mike. Edited 15 August , 2020 by MikeyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasemuseum Posted 15 August , 2020 Share Posted 15 August , 2020 Purely a guess. The "tin can" contains a clockwork type spring. This is part of a mechanical mechanism used in the factory to test the feed mechanism of a belt fed machine gun. The inspector places the gun in a jig and manually cycles the mechanism several times to prove the ability of the feed mechanism to pull against the spring in the tin can. As the rounds have no rim, they are not drawn out of the links into the gun. The triangular wedge prevents the inspector cycling the gun beyond that point. After a successful test the gun is cleared then passed through to the next inspection before the ultimate live fire test. Cheers Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 18 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 18 August , 2020 (edited) On 15/08/2020 at 23:48, Chasemuseum said: Purely a guess. The "tin can" contains a clockwork type spring. This is part of a mechanical mechanism used in the factory to test the feed mechanism of a belt fed machine gun. The inspector places the gun in a jig and manually cycles the mechanism several times to prove the ability of the feed mechanism to pull against the spring in the tin can. As the rounds have no rim, they are not drawn out of the links into the gun. The triangular wedge prevents the inspector cycling the gun beyond that point. After a successful test the gun is cleared then passed through to the next inspection before the ultimate live fire test. Cheers Ross Ross, An ingenious suggestion, no one has come up with anything else so far.......... The brass round to the right, which looks like a .303, has a knife blade inside, the bullet acting as a handle, according to the auction 'blurb'. A pencil would have been expected. Mike. Edited 18 August , 2020 by MikeyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Posted 18 August , 2020 Share Posted 18 August , 2020 Not relevant to the question, but... Didn't I read somewhere the Princess Mary Christmas Tin gift had options - a pencil or a knife, tobacco or cigarettes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 18 August , 2020 Share Posted 18 August , 2020 Interested, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 18 August , 2020 Share Posted 18 August , 2020 sorry, pressed wrong button but I mean't to say I think you 're correct regarding the Princess Mary tin. I have my late wifes grandads tin from 1914 which still has his cigarettes and tobacco in it. Independent of that I also have a 'bullet pencil' as you describe. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 18 August , 2020 Share Posted 18 August , 2020 2 hours ago, MikeyH said: Ross, An ingenious suggestion, no one has come up with anything else so far.......... The brass round to the right, which looks like a .303, has a knife blade inside, the bullet acting as a handle, according to the auction 'blurb'. A pencil would have been expected. Mike. Interesting auction lot, thanks for posting Mike, I have one of those knives, .303 Mk ll so predating the Great War, hallmark confirms at 1899....I’m presuming there was similar manufactured after the Great War but haven’t come across any. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 18 August , 2020 Share Posted 18 August , 2020 Dave66, thanks for posting the photo of the knife, I think I've got one of those as well as the pencil, all I need to do now is remember where I put them. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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