WW2 British 7.92mm

[Jimbo]

Hello, i visited a ww2 training area last week, and found a few 7.92mm cartridges, which i have cleaned, and found are marked:
R^L 42 GII - i have looked this up, and can see that they were made at Woolwich arsenal in 1942.
Please can anyone offer any advice as to which gun these would have been used in? Possibly a BESA?
Many Thanks,
Jimbo.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Jimbo, I would agree with you. Most likely from a BESA.

Cheers, Ade.

[People's Army]

Da! Comrades, It was a Tankist Weapon System Calibre.

[Jimbo]

Hi, thanks for your comments, however a piece of information i forgot to mention, was that these cartridges were found along with .303 cartridges, and the whole area due to very steep hills and woodland is totally unsuitable - unpassable to any vehicles (including tanks!). Could they be from another weapon?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Possibly the British used a ground mounted tripod as an option to use the gun outside a tank?

The rounds could even have be fired from a K98 as a demo? I don't know of any other British weapon which used this round?

I would show a good closeup of the indent from the firing pin on some of these spent cases. Bill, our firearms forum mod, will most likely be able to tell you what fired them from this info? MG's often leave a different shaped impression.

Cheers, Ade.

[Steve T]

Aye

for instance, with 303's, If the striking mark is elongated it is a Bren. If it is a single circular mark it is an Enfield.

relichunter

[Steve T]

Aye

for instance, with 303's, If the striking mark is elongated it is a Bren. If it is a single circular mark it is an Enfield.

Are you positive they are 7.92 mm ?

relichunter

[zwerge]

here`s a 7.92 made by Kynoch in 1944.

[Jimbo]

Hi, yes it is def. a 7.92mm cartridge, the mark left by the firing pin is a very defined circular dent - (not like that of a bren) however you cant see it particularily well in picture.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks
Jimbo.

[Nige H]

Also some special 7.92 was produced in Britain for use by SOE and the OSS, these rounds had authentic German manufactures markings and were filled with a high explosive double charge, the idea was for the resistance to place the Booby trapped ammo in amongst normal German supply, and then just wait. Once loaded and fired the British rounds exploded destroying the rifle and the person firing it.

Nige.