Strange barrel recoved in the ground..what German weapon??

[us1945]

Hello people

Today I searched with my metal detector in the woods and found a big hole with many exploded German ammo,,,75mm shells..with heads..mortars,,etc etc. It happend after the Geman army surrendered.

Also a nice preserved fragsleeve for on a streelgrenade,,and even some cal50 shells.

Anyway I found also a barrel...front is like 8mm, you can put a k98k shell in the back(when it was clean) (found also a shell next to it)

On the front screwthreat. on the back some spare to get back the shell from the reciever.

I really have no idea what kind of weapom this is...seems to be someting. I don`t think this is a "krumlauf"...must be bent by the explosion.


Any help will be appriciated!!

Best regards Tommy

[us1945]

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[us1945]

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[us1945]

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[us1945]

Cleaned it a bit..maybe it`s easyer for people to recognice now!!

The back is 2 pieces..bolted together with 2 bolts. The bore is like 7.90-7.92 mm, the back chaimber hole is just as big as a k98k shell..and I see now the curve at the end.

On the back I recoved a few markt. Like an arrow..wich must mean above and a cirle with a sight wich looks like a "L" but possible It was a "4"...wasn`t easy to get something anyway..nasty rust.

Hope somebody could help.

My tought`s...the chaimber seems to bee very thick...so I`m thinking about a machinegun barrel...maybe for a veirecle or airplane...or maybe some highpower panzer rifle??

Any info would help...:-)

best regards Tommy

[us1945]

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[us1945]

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[Alan Smith]

I think this may be part of a sub-caliber training device for an artillery piece, due to the very large chamber end. Given the size of the chamber end, it looks like it might fit something like a 37mm AT gun?

Just an idea to stimulate discussion.

[us1945]

Hi Allen

Thanks for your imput!

I might be...but I`ll show someting else...

I think it might be MG17 or MG81....looks simulair in size. It`s an good option..since it`s 7.92 and heavyer than a normal MG34-42

Most mg17`s were equipt in German plains.

Anybody who can confirm this????



Best regards Tommy

[Zapper]

arrow

To me this looks like a british "broad arrow" stamp?
Could it be that this isn't a german barrel?

[Gary Cain]

The arrow is an indexing arrow. There is a clear acceptance Eagle stamp shown in the image below the one with the arrow. Also the Broad Arrow is truly a Broad Arrow!. When I first saw this I immediatly thought of the kummelauf barrel(I know I am spelling it wrong I just can't remember the proper spelling) the "shoot around corners" barrel.

Gary

[us1945]

I think you mean krumlauf..:-)

Btw I really can`t see that eagle...were do you see that?> (you see it often when you know it`s there)

I only see a circle...


Possible it`s one of the in Czech captured weapons used by the Germans in WW2,.,they all got new names. Could be also British Besa maybe mk1 or 2.

I`m not really in too the machineguns..hope we can figure out what I found...would be nice

Thanks

Tommy

[Danny L]

That's what I loved about military relic hunting. Trying to figure out what kind of junk you dig up. I sure miss the eight years I lived around the Ardennes with my metal detector.

[us1945]

Hi Danny

Yes it`s interesting..you don`t have to search for the money...

a k98k cost like $13...and I`m trying to find one since 1996 or so...it`s the kick of finding someting yourself.

To be honest...I never were in communist counties like Poland..my friends searched there a lot..man that`s partying all the time.

I searched also 5 times in the Ardennes...did you found any weapons? I brought back only ammo...crappy ammo.

Best regards Tommy

[Danny L]

I never found anything that was really worth posting here. A friend of mine did find a german helmet that was rusted really bad. The Ardennes is full of unused small arms ammunition. My favorite things to find were .50 slugs and brass fuzes from artillery shells. They clean up really nice.

In my opinion, I think the Ardennes is pretty well picked through. Toward the end of my tour in Germany, I had more fun just visiting western battlefield and walking through the woods. My favorite area was around Hurtgenwald. I used to take books with me and try to do Then & Now photos.