Hi all This is my first visit to your forum, I am hoping you can help me. I found a bullet casing in my woodland in Sussex, its metal and it says: 1943, 20mm, K2 on it. Complete novice and would love to know if this is exciting (more exciting than all the shotgun cartridges I keep finding! ) Can anyone help me, or point me in the right direction? Many thanks Tracy
That was quick! Thanks, and that is exciting! I shall have to find out more... wonder if there is likely to be more the same in the same area...?
Or it could possibly be German. Do you have pics, is there any other marks? Tracey, Please read the forum warning/disclaimer on picking up old ordance. Kev
I have put some pictures up on our blog, if links work on this? It is a bit rusty and not very clean. I don't know how to clean it, without wrecking it, so just used a little water to get the mud off. Peplers In Rye: Metal detecting I will read the old ordnance disclaimer, thanks.
Had a Google on "Ordnance Markings K2" & found this. K2- ICI Ltd. (Kynoch), Standish, UK, 1939-1945 Uscenter Also Google "ordnance head stamp K2" .
thanks for that link, Owen - i have a few 20mm shells and just been able to identify them! cheers, AndyPants
if it is a big field you would be able to find some more, I Arnhem I once followed a trail of ten of them trough out the woods.
I was sent information from the war relics forum on this, I have posted what I have been told so far on our blog. Peplers In Rye: Metal detecting I will be looking for more in the wood as soon as I can!
It is a 20mm Hispano from an aircraft, not an Oerlikon. The Oerlikon was used by the army and the Royal Navy and has a rebated rim. There is no way of telling what the original loading of yours may have been, as unlike other calibres, the 20mm Hispano headstamp did not identify the load, e.g. ball, AP, HE, HEI etc. Regards TonyE
My late father a fitter/armourer RAF 1935 -1947 picked one up at a 'jumble sale' years ago, looked at the base and said Hispano! On enquiring he said the striker indentation is slightly different for different weapons. Similar with the .303 rounds you might find, rifle has a small concave round impression, the Bren has an elongated concave strike.