| Ah, here we go Gage:
"Successful attempts were made in the mid 1930's to develop steel cases - Freeing supplies of Brass for more vital tasks - though the first patterns had to be brass or copper washed to guarantee smooth feed. An effectual greyish-green lacquer coating was subsequently perfected but even this failed to prevent auto feed troubles and an additional coating of durable wax had to be approved in 1944. Virtually insensitive to temperature & humidity oil or grease made the wax sticky; consequently feed problems were never entirely cured prior to 1945"
George Markham on the 7.9MM Gewehr-patrone in 'Guns of the Reich'. |