Firing pin

[Dwight]

I think this is a firing pin for some sort of heavy weapon. The WaA mark “WaA 295” is also unknown to me.

Very grateful for any information regarding this item.

[me6_130]

Looks like artillery pin...but don't know which gun for, sorry

Carles

[me6_130]

Have a look here:

https://www.lonesentry.com/articles/50mm/index.html

Browse around to see what you can find.

Here is a pic of a 7,5 Infantry gun pin:

Carles

[Dwight]

Many thanks for the information! I will check out "www.lonesentry.com". Any ideas regarding the "WaA 295" stamp?

[me6_130]

I haven't found any reference to that inspector, sorry.

Carles

[Paul C]

It looks very like a 3,7cm Pak firing pin but I'm not sure what the threaded part is.

PC

[Dwight]

Many thanks for your comment. I think that the firing pin is for a smaller gun, for example a 3,7 cm PAK, but I have not found an exact match. The firing pin has the code "11892 Rh294A" but I dont know what it means. I have seen the letter "R" and a "number" on several pictures of breeches of german artillery pieces.

[me6_130]

Talking about those numbers, I've got some artillery primers that have that kind of Rh code. The C/12 impact primers have an Rh S 90, while C/22 electrical primers have an Rh S 167 code. Perhaps they are artillery inventory codes, just as the L, Fl codes for the Luftwaffe. I don't know if this info might help.

Carles

[Dwight]

Thanks for the information! That is IMO an interesting observation. Does anyone know what the code "Rh S 90" on the mentioned C/12 impact primer mean?

I was also wondering if someone knows if there was a system for marking the breeches of german artillery pieces in ww2 (as it was for ammunition) and if yes, where can information about the meaning of such marking be found?

[klarkon]

Rh + Rh S - Rheinmetall Sömmerda

[Dwight]

Thanks for the information! I did not know that "Rh" meant Rheinmetall.

[me6_130]

Rheinmetall still exists! Perhaps if you write to them...they might even answer...

Carles

[Dwight]

I am not sure Rheinmetall will answer me.

The firing pin discussed here arrived yesterday. The firing pin consists of two parts and I am not sure if they belong together! The first three pictures shows the first part, IMO a german firing pin for an artillery piece or a PAK. The next three pictures shows the second part. This part has no WaA stamps but is stamped with the number “186” and a lion (see the sixth picture for a close up of the lion). To me the lion looks a bit like the “Bohemian lion”, which might indicate a Czech origin. But this is only a guess! I also don’t know if this part has anything to do with a weapon at all. Inside this part there is a spring which puts a pressure on the “round cylinder” to the left. As I see it now, this part probably doesn’t have anything to do with the first part shown in the three first pictures. What is strange, however, is that the second part fits perfect in the first part (see last picture).

[ACD]

Yes, mark is 100% Czech two-tailed lion.

[Dwight]

Thanks for the information! The big question: What is it for? I am not sure it has anything at all with a weapon to do.