Flak 38 Part 1: Ammunition

[@geoffbenoy2052]

In 1965 I found a whole bunch of the magazines still full of ammunition, they had been under water for almost 20 years. I took some apart. One of the detonaters I took out of the aluminium tip and started to clean it out. Almost empty, it exploded in my hand and took my fingertips away, I ended up in hospital. These are very nasty and dangerous.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

That is terrible, I am sorry you were injured by one. I have heard that the detonators are nearly impossible to inert so I was lucky to find some that were never filled. I also think that people underestimate how long ordnance can remain dangerous even when underground or underwater. I will pin your comment to show the dangers of dealing with UXO. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@geoffbenoy2052]

@@MilitariaReviewed It happened the day before my 19th birthday, woke up in the hospital. That time I didn't know they were so dangerous, one shot can take a plane down at 500m height. We'll, I survived, 75 soon. Also the 20mm flak gun I found in the water, didn't know what it was then...

[@clement9120]

@@MilitariaReviewed its easy to empty them, you just need to cut off the detonator fixed under the fuze. But its dangerous, make sure to take some protecting items like metal-gloves stuff like that....

[@geoffbenoy2052]

@@clement9120 the tip with the detonar can be removed easily by unscrewing it. The tip is made of soft metal, provided with 2 ramps to put a small wrench on and to unscrew it from the projectile. Then the detonator, made of aluminum (I still have some small splinters in my face), can be screwed out of the tip. You'll see the tip contains a plunger that, on impact, goes into the detonator and ignites it. The detonator contained some white stuff like chalk. That detonator was almost cleaned empty when it exploded. The removed white stuff exploded as well but didn't do damage. Fortunately the rest of the 20mm projectile was not with me...

[@clement9120]

@@geoffbenoy2052 ouch

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Hope you find this video informative. It is probably my favorite that I’ve made so far. As always let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

[@AlcidesSalgado]

FYI: flak is from shortened German word: “fliegerabwehrkanone”. Which means ‘aircraft defense canon’. You’re welcome.

[@alexgustavsson5955]

I love this video, you don't often get to see the inner workings of cannon rounds explained so thoroughly. Can't wait for Flak 38 Part 4: Test fire.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Glad you liked it! These are interesting little rounds. As for the test fire, maybe someday!

[@joeswarson4580]

Criminally underrated channel

[@Flak_and_Pak]

Lets see what we can do to boost those numbers!

[@Flak_and_Pak]

I posted it to my Flakvierling 38 restoration page on FB. We have 3,300 members.

[@ahmiv8825]

Only 3k subscribers is crazy for this type of information and format of videos, love it!

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Honestly I am just glad anybody watches my stuff! Never expected to have anywhere near this much interest in my videos when I started out.

[@DeetexSeraphine]

Fascinating, didn't know about the powder bag.

[@pederschultz2618]

A realy good video. The safty mechanism in the fuze of the HE shell is remarkely simpel and cheap made compared with other safety mechanisms that are designed to be deactivated by the spin of the shell.

[@ishnifusmeadle]

Awesome. Love this type of stuff. Was given a inert api "trainer" 20mm by my grandfather he got as a gift from working for lockheed decades ago, and that started my fascinating with projectiles. I began messing with my red rider shortly there after, trying to find ways to make better "ammo" for it hahaha, eventually got into reloading, casting, milling various rounds as i aged for my firearms. Its a hobby i love. I love display artillery shells for some reason, sadly i only have one, as i havent been able to justify more. I still have that lil 20 trainer, attached to my "bullet board"(cartridge display) that i love showing folks, especially the cutaways or the "exploded" dioramas, always a favorite. Its funny how a series of meaningless events shapes out obsessions. Anyways, very much enjoyed the series, well done.

[@frederikdemoor8172]

What a really good and detailed vid!!! Really nice job! Never knew how the explosive ones worked… Grts from Belgium

[@CZ350tuner]

During my research, back in the mid-1980's, I uncovered anti=armour range tests for the 20mm. L.55 KwK.30 & 20mm. FlaK 30, there are range tests for the PzGr. AP-I, PzGr. APHE, PzGr.39 APCBC-HE & PzGr.40 APCR.

[@kimjanek646]

There was no 20mm Pzgr. 39 shell. If it was mentioned in some documents than probably due to mistakes from military personal, since most AP rounds, for AT guns, were of the Pzgr. 39 designation.

[@JimMurray-jx5ze]

I have a flak38 complete with trailer with two live complete guns & one deactivated gun and also a blank firing barrel kit for use with the wooden tipped blank rounds. Aparently used by the army group south and eventually ended up in Slovakia where I found it from another collector. Would be interested to know what it is worth in current market?

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Wow that is quite the collection! I would love to see some pictures of your flak 38s if you don't mind. Depending on where you are located I may be able to help with valuation. I know that there was a dealer in Czechia that had around a dozen or so at one time. It wouldn't surprise me if yours and his all came from the same group.

[@jorddie772]

i never knew about this and now im obsessed with ww2 munitions

[@MilitariaReviewed]

There is a ton of variety to study and collect. Even just 2cm flak has so many variants!

[@geoffbenoy2052]

The tracer stuff was protected by a small plastic red disc. You had to remove that in order to see the tracer. Firing the amo would pulverise that disc and start the tracer.

[@grahamthebaronhesketh.]

Hi I have a brass one I picked up years ago and it now has a clipper gas lighter in the top. My wife has been using it for years. the base is stamped HPD and 40. it has interesting trench art etched into it depicting Egyptian pyramids etc. Perhaps it was fired by the Africa Corps? I did not know it was a German round until I watched your video. Thanks for that good film.

[@MrRedeyedJedi]

Quite clever how much is going on in the bullet head it's self, the he is interested in that they thought of a self destruct. I understand that on other cannon rounds, a timer detonation could be altered to detonate at certain altitudes.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Larger AA guns had the ability to set rounds to detonate after a certain amount of time which would correspond with a particular altitude. 8.8 cm flak had a sort of mechanical computer mounted next to them that the gunner would insert the nose of the projectile into prior to firing. It would set the fuze based on the altitude, speed, range etc. of the target and automatically adjust as needed. 2 cm flak cartridges did not have that ability but as I understand many modern 20mm cartridges do.

[@MrRedeyedJedi]

@@MilitariaReviewed yeah, cool isn't it? The earlier ones were simply a fuse delay done mechanically but as you say, certain modern guns have the ability to do it by computer, mainly used in larger calibre cannons.

[@Sir.suspicious]

Amazing channel! Lucky I found this

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Thanks!

[@Dodo-ze5ep]

Explained very nice!

[@jhyland87]

Those are so neat! Thanks for uploading.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

No problem! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

Thanks 🙂😎👍

[@spidermann5000]

1:35 "modern projectiles are measured in grains" mhh at 20mm you get a mouth full of grains, no one ever used it for calibers that size and beyond and 1774,72grain is a moutj full :P

[@benjohnson2421]

Left handed threads. Guess you dont want your tracer cup spinning off half way there. Right spinning rifling? 🤔

[@scottw550]

I've got a dark green 1944 U.S. CR med kit from ebay with a 20 mm bullet hole clean right through the front right edge of it, with trailing threads, it missed hitting a small square glass vial of insectiside. by 1/4 inch.

[@ag2938]

Very Intressant! Munitionsarten: Panzersprenggranate, black und Sprenggranate,yellow mit und ohne Leuchspur, sowie Exerzierpatrone zum üben!

[@Boerje69]

Popular cartridge that 20x138mmB.

[@foxtrot312]

So is it 20mm diameter ?

[@collectionofhistory44]

I absolutely love this kind of video's! I subscribed! Keep it up ;)

[@hanfpeter2822]

There was a quick Note that modern shells weights are measured in grain. Grain as a unit is most commonly used in the U.S. and nowadays. Due to the presence of american products it has spread to europe, but in europe it is also Common to use gram. (I am disregarding firearms before the metric System here) additionally, i believe that NATO uses the metric System in their Standards, and not grain.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Thank you for the insight. These units of measure can be quite confusing. It would be helpful if the US standardized with the rest of the world!

[@DudeInWalmart]

@@MilitariaReviewed I reload and use bolt units. I use grains for small stuff and grams for bigger artillery stuff. Don't know why but I find it easier to remember charges in grains.

[@chrisabraham8793]

You are lucky to unscrew the tracer part, buggers to get our even if its a left hand thread.

[@AnticipatedHedgehog]

Interesting to see the changes over time through the war years. I watched a Military History Visualized video on recycling of ammunition, the markings on shells makes sense. Seems like a waste to not reload shells! Looking forward to more videos.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

The cartridges definitely got more crude as time went on. The lacquered steel also had a nasty habit of jamming up the weapon. I've seen brass casings with markings indicating 4-5 reloads though those were probably used in a training setting. Couldn't do that with the steel casings! Glad you liked the video. I hope to have the next two parts out soon.

[@AnticipatedHedgehog]

@@MilitariaReviewed Wow 4-5 times! Those casings are probably a bit thicker than rifle cartridges thats why I'm so surprised. Not sure if you could reload rifle cartridges that many times. Can't wait!

[@jasonbloho8015]

@@AnticipatedHedgehog depending on how hot you load some people get up to 10 reloads out of brass

[@zackzittel7683]

@@AnticipatedHedgehog depending on the design and pressures the reloads reached and the resizing technique you may get over a dozen reloads out of rifle cartridges. Pistol cartridges can last even longer, especially low pressure, straight walled cartridges like 38spl and .45ACP

[@miserablebrian]

Dude, I thought that thing was the size of a football until you picked it up!

[@dominicmauro7203]

great vid man very informative, I appreciate you.

[@slt2239]

What kind of explosive was used in the HE rounds, and what was the weight of the HE payload, if you happen to know?

[@MilitariaReviewed]

The standard HE-T (Sprgr. mit L'spur) was filled with 6.2 grams of PETN (the Germans called it nitropenta).

[@herrhaber9076]

Anywhere from 1.8 to 22 grams of HE. Germany used PETN. Other countries also used PETN but many used RDX phlegmatized with wax. Want to add an incendiary effect ? Take the same round, add a few grams of zinc powder.

[@saradolphin3242]

Best Simple Explanation for People who Don't No Anything Lol Like Me! What is a Flake Find?

[@val-h7m]

Just found a buttload of them cartridges laying on the ground in a forest ! There was one high explosive et the rest was amor piercing

[@kevinm4701]

So does the flak damage with explosion or kinetic forces based on ammo? I always imagined the footage that the flak would explode in the air and send out ball bearings to destroy the aircraft

[@A.G.798]

Beides,was Sie meinen sind Splittergeschosse, aber nur bei größeren Kaliber!

[@prandomable]

20x138mmB is used for Lahti, Solothurn and Flak 38 correct? All interchangeable between those guns...

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Sorry for the late response. You are correct, 20x138b was used in all three of those. It was specifically utilized with the Solothurn S-18/1000. The earlier S-18/100 used a shorter cartridge, 20x105b. I have an example of that round in my collection as well.

[@prandomable]

@@MilitariaReviewed I have shot CVDS's Lahti 20mm before. However it wasn't 20x138mmB cartridges but 20x102mm Vulcan round that has been switched to percussion primed cartridge to be shot with Lahti's firing pin I believe. I'm guessing the chamber has been swapped to specifically shoot the 20x102mm. Barrel still a 20mm so no need to switch the barrel to shoot different 20mm cartridges.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

@@prandomable That is interesting. I would be curious to know how they did the conversion to enable firing the shorter cartridge. Definitely the way to go if you want to actually shoot it. No idea where you'd go to get a large supply of 20x138b cases. I believe there is also a company making 20mm bolt actions chambered for the Vulcan round since components for it are much more available. What was shooting the Lahti like? That is one of my "grail guns" that I hope to be able to get one day.

[@prandomable]

@@MilitariaReviewed it wasn't that much different than the .50cal to be honest. Also the bolt action 20mm you are referring to. 20x102mm Anzio Ironworks. The company owner Mike Remo he makes 20x102mm Anzio bolt action rifle shooting 20x102mm cartridges that's been converted to percussion primed. All factory 20x102mm Vulcan rounds are electric primed.

[@robertmcnamara3523]

Awesome!

[@daviddavidson2357]

"Modern projectiles are measured in grains" Lol Lmao even

[@coreymerrill3257]

They look like the CEOs got back from an African safari, and said " those belted magnums are pretty nice ,but they need to be more like the 22lr. So...belted case with heeled projectiles it is.

[@curiouscat8396]

Why did they belt it? For ease of chambering/loading?

[@MilitariaReviewed]

The belt was to ensure proper headspacing when the cartridge was chambered.

[@curiouscat8396]

@@MilitariaReviewed But why not just make it rimmed then?

[@The6thMessenger]

Hey. Can you do a 20mm Vulcan breakdown as well?

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Sure! I have quite the backlog of videos I am working on at the moment but I'll see about doing one on the 20mm Vulcan sometime in the future.

[@ROOSTER333]

Damn man. Just caught your mothball vid. New sub for certain

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Glad you liked the video!

[@matheusgodoy42]

Great content. By the end of 2021 you'll have 100k subscribers and you will remember this comment.

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Thanks man, maybe someday!

[@mcbrians.8508]

Where is the Minengeschoss?

[@MilitariaReviewed]

Minengeschoss rounds were not produced for 2cm flak. As far as I am aware, minengeschoss rounds were limited to aircraft-mounted guns like the MG151/20 or MK108.

[@A.G.798]

Wobei die Geschosse, ob Flugzeugwaffe MG 151/20 und Flak 38 doch gleich waren! Nur die Hülzen waren unterschiedlich groß ; 92 mm. Flugzeugwaffe und 138 mm. Flak 38 , und die Füllung mit 22 gramm Sprengstoff ist die Mienengranate, da die normale Sprenggranate mit 6,5 g. Geladen war.

[@Muddybagclean]

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