(Fig. 17)

The cartridge is used with the 2.7 cm "Kampfpistole", a rifled pistol which also fires signal and smoke cartridges.

The complete round is 5.1 inches in length and consists of an unpainted aluminium pro-jectile with five pre-engraved rifling grooves, a nose fuze of magnesium or browned steel with a protruding striker and a short rimmed case of aluminium with a brass bush in the base carrying a percussion cap. The red stencilling "Spreng Z." appears on the base.

The fuze is of the direct action type with an igniferous detonator and is fitted with a gaine at the base. The body of the fuze, which screws into the shell, is fitted with an ogival cover which forms the head of the projectile and from which the striker protrudes at the nose. The cover is provided with key flats and is secured to the body by a locking screw. The body is recessed and screwthreaded at the base for the insertion of the gaine, above which is a paper washer and a ring-shaped holder carrying the detonator. The upper part of the body is reduced in diameter to receive a retaining collar and to form a platform for three pins supporting the collar. A channel accommodate the striker with its supporting spring. The steel striker is retained in a cylindrical head by a screw inserted at the top of the head. The head is flanged near its lower end to retain it in the cover and is reduced in diameter below the flange to form a shoulder. Six steel balls are held between the shoulder and the top of the body by the retaining collar.

The gaine consists a 6.8 grain filling of P.E.T.N. with a 5.9 grain initiator of lead azide and lead styphnate.

On acceleration the supporting pins of the retaining collar collapse and the collar sets back clear of the balls. At this stage the balls are held by the set back of the striker head. During flight the balls are thrown clear by centrifugal force, leaving the striker sup-ported only by the spring. On impact the striker is driven into the detonator. The flash from the detonator initiates the gaine, which detonates and thus brings about the deto-nation of the bursting charge.

The combination of igniferous detonator, the gaine and the gap below the gaine in the shell is probably intended to result in a slight delay. Steel fuzes and fuzes largely of mag-nesium have been met with. The magnesium fuzes may be intended to produce a flash on impact to assist observation or to obtain incendiary effect.

The shell consists of an aluminium body, pre-engraved for most of its length at a right-hand twist of approximately 1 in 9 to correspond with the rifling in the pistol, and fitted with a steel liner which holds the bursting charge and is screwthreaded to receive the fuze. The liner is secured to the body by indentations and knurling near the base.

The bursting charge consists of approximately 340 grains of P.E.T.N. wax, 90/10, in two increments. A cardborad disc is inserted between the two increments and at the base of the lower increment. The upper increment is some distance below the gaine and has a tapering cavity. A cardboard was-her carrying a thin paper disc is placed on the top of the increment.

The case, with its percussion cap carried in a brass bush, is the same as that described for the signal cartridge. The weight of the propellant charge of gun-powder is 12.3 grains.

Fig. 17