Probably some obvious answer that I didn’t know. Working with AFV’s box of 7.5cm PaK40 ammo and cases. They supply both wooden boxes and steel cases in the kit for the shells. I can’t find any data that tells me why I should use one or the other with the gun crew. I have seen period pictures of each being used, and some period pictures of them scattered together by a gun. Just didn’t know how to show them correctly. Also they show on the box two different finishes for the steel cases. Does one or the other color denote the type of shell in the case, or just the time period or sector of use?
Working on Dragon’s Panzerjager I B, basically a 7.5cm gun mounted on a Panzer 1 chassis. Weird little thing. No period reference pictures on line that I can find, since they say it probably was a one-off thing.
Early Pak 40 ammo was packaged in single-round, waterproof, steel containers, (Luftdichter Patronenkasten 7.5 cm pak 40), These were later superseded by cheaper, 3-round wooden crates. These tubes were often re-used, particularily in areas where their water-proof construction was needed. They were painted dark green at first, then later dark yellow. In the mid-war years it is common to see both types of containers in use at the same time.
The early shell casings were drawn brass, later-war versions are lacquered steel. Here again, it was not uncommon to see both types at the same time, turning more towards steel casings by the war’s end. All pak 40 ammunition types used either brass or steel casings. This site has a photo showing what appears to be a green, parkerized-steel casing as well, although the owner states it is a repaint;
Thanks for the info. The description of this kit in the instructions place it in Berlin at the end of the war so maybe the steel cases are ones to use.