Crashes and ammunition

[Ian]

I'm currently researching the crash of a French fighter in 1942. On site, we've found quite a bit of machine gun ammunition. I've found lots in the past, complete rounds, in more or lass good condition but also cases that have exploded in fires and sometimes, quite a distance away, the bullets. Here, strangely, we're mostly finding empty cases with the separated bullets very close to them. Does anyone have an idea how this could occur ?

 

[Greyman]

If the rounds are just cooking off in the open air, and not detonating properly from the primer and enclosed in the chamber of a gun, it's entirely possible that the relatively unfocused explosion just pops the projectile out with a lot less force. If angled toward the ground it's probably not going far.

Possible that time and the elements had a good chance to work on the ammunition before they were heated / exploded?

Also the outside chance that something could be off about that lot of ammunition ...

 

[Ian]

If the rounds are just cooking off in the open air, and not detonating properly from the primer and enclosed in the chamber of a gun, it's entirely possible that the relatively unfocused explosion just pops the projectile out with a lot less force. If angled toward the ground it's probably not going far.

Possible that time and the elements had a good chance to work on the ammunition before they were heated / exploded?

Also the outside chance that something could be off about that lot of ammunition ...

I think that you've hit the nail on the head there. That sounds very plausible when compared to what I saw on site. So heat, either from the crash, or just from the hot sun over the years has just done it's work on them. Thanks for that.

 

[Maxrobot1]

French made rifle and machine gun ammunition headstamps are unique. They have the last two digits of the year made. What markings have you seen?

 

[Ian]

French made rifle and machine gun ammunition headstamps are unique. They have the last two digits of the year made. What markings have you seen?

I only checked one, to make sure. It's a 1937 Versailles round.

 

[Skewgear]

It's possible that with the passage of time, the primer and propellant have become unstable to the point of spontaneously igniting. Then, as mentioned above, the uncontained explosion means the bullet only travels a short distance.

 

[Maxrobot1]

Were any machine gun links found near the ammunition? Also, it the cartridge case primer is flat without a firing pin indentation, you know they were unfired. Some cartridge cases rupture and split when the power inside cooks off. I guess it depends if the bullet was crimped into the cartridge case when assembled.