Description
Inert WWII U.S. 20mm Hispano Drill Round with H.W.B. CO. Projectile and NECO M21A1B1 Steel Case
Item Overview
This inert U.S. 20mm Hispano round brings together a WWII H.W.B. CO. projectile and a NECO M21A1 brass cartridge case. It represents the 20×110mm ammunition family used by American M1 and AN-M2 aircraft cannon. The dated components make it a useful piece for a wartime aircraft armament collection, ammunition exhibit, or educational display. This example is offered as an inert, non-firing collectible.
Identification and Features
The projectile carries a maker's abbreviation, lot marking, and month-and-year date. These follow the general marking system described in wartime Army ammunition manuals. The case markings record its maker's abbreviation, year, caliber, and model. M21A1 identifies the brass cartridge case; it does not identify the projectile design. The different dates document when the two components were made, but do not establish when they were assembled together. The full company names behind H.W.B. CO. and NECO remain unverified.
- Ammunition family: 20×110mm Hispano
- Projectile marking: H.W.B. CO.
- Projectile lot marking: LOT-51338-2
- Projectile date: 3-1942 — March 1942
- Case markings: NECO, 1943, 20mm, M21A1B1
- Status: Inert
Original Service Function
Live 20mm Hispano ammunition was supplied as fixed cartridges, with the projectile and cartridge case joined as one unit. The ammunition family included ball, armor-piercing, and high-explosive incendiary rounds for different service needs. Ball projectiles contained no explosive filling or fuze. Although associated with practice firing, ball ammunition was also listed for combat use against personnel and light equipment in the June 1943 Army manual. The markings supplied for this collectible do not, by themselves, establish its exact projectile model or original service load.
Ammunition and Weapon Applications
The M21A1 was a standard case used in the ammunition supply for U.S. M1 and AN-M2 Hispano-type cannon. A well-known aircraft application was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Its nose armament combined one 20mm cannon with four .50-caliber machine guns, placing all five weapons in a compact forward gun compartment. The cannon gave the fighter a heavier projectile alongside its machine-gun fire. This round represents that aircraft ammunition family; its markings do not connect it to a particular aircraft, squadron, or combat mission.
Historical Background
The weapon's history began with Marc Birkigt's Hispano-Suiza Type 404 cannon, developed in France during the 1930s. American testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground began in 1938, followed by a U.S. production contract in 1940. The American M1 was followed by the M2, later designated AN-M2. That model used a heavier receiver, the main body of the gun, to better suit aircraft mounting. The projectile and case offered here date from 1942 and 1943, during the wartime expansion of American aircraft and ammunition production. Cannon-equipped P-38s fought in North Africa, Europe, and the Pacific. Their duties included fighter combat, escorting bombers, and attacking ground targets, making the Hispano ammunition family part of several major air campaigns.
Condition
The case has holes drilled through its side and a piece of wood inside. These features are part of the offered item, but do not establish a specific factory drill-round designation or the date of its conversion to inert condition. This listing includes one round with its projectile, cartridge case, and wooden insert. Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item.
Ideal For
The separate projectile and case markings give this piece value as a study example of wartime production records. It can complement an aircraft armament display or help illustrate how makers, lots, and dates were recorded on ammunition components.
- WWII ammunition collections
- 20mm Hispano cannon displays
- P-38 Lightning exhibits
- Military museums and educational collections
Approx length 7", Approx width 1", Approx height 1", Approx weight 0.6lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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