Description
25mm Oerlikon Pattern Hand Painted Display Round
Product Overview
This hand painted 25×137mm Oerlikon-pattern display round is assembled using a cartridge case bearing Oe and PSW markings. The case's 65 date code indicates 1965 manufacture. Its headstamp gives the display a connection to Cold War ammunition production and the industrial relationship between Oerlikon and Presta.
Identification and Features
The headstamp combines the Oerlikon mark with a case manufacturer's monogram and two numerical codes.
- PSW monogram: Press- und Stanzwerk, also known as Presta, at Eschen, Liechtenstein.
- 65: Most likely the 1965 case production date.
- 01: Additional production code.
Function
This assembly provides an inert representation of the 25×137mm cartridge format for collection display and visual instruction. It allows the cartridge's form and case markings to be studied together. The hand painted presentation gives it a display role, while the headstamp preserves information about the case's production background.
Product History
Oerlikon introduced the 25×137mm cartridge family during the 1960s for its automatic cannon program. The format became associated with the Oerlikon KBA and later spread to other weapons. The case's 1965 date fits that early period, giving the assembly a component from the cartridge family's formative years. This date interpretation applies to the case component.
Documented End-Item Applications
The original cartridge-family association is the Oerlikon KBA 25mm automatic cannon, consistent with the Oerlikon headstamp. The same 25×137mm format was later adopted for the American M242 Bushmaster cannon used in the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. These are documented weapon-system connections for the cartridge format represented by this display.
Case Manufacturer History
Press- und Stanzwerk AG, commonly called Presta, was founded in Eschen in 1941. Liechtenstein's State Archive records ammunition-casing production beginning in spring 1942, with Oerlikon-Bührle behind the company. The country's Historical Lexicon records Presta's full integration into the Oerlikon-Bührle group in 1956. This industrial relationship provides context for the combined Oe and PSW markings on the case.
Equipment History
The Oerlikon KBA developed into an automatic cannon for mechanized warfare, with applications in armored-vehicle turrets, air-defense equipment, and naval mounts. Its dual-belt feed accommodated two ammunition types, supporting different roles within one weapon system. The 25×137mm family grew to include armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition, making the cartridge format part of a broad range of military equipment.
Weapon System Background
The M242 Bushmaster brought the 25×137mm format into the Bradley vehicle family. It served as the main cannon on both the M2 and M3, supporting their different missions. The M2 carried infantry into battle, while the M3 was adapted for cavalry scouting. This later American application extended the cartridge family's reach beyond its original European development.
History of Use
The Bradley entered U.S. Army service in the early 1980s and later saw extensive combat in the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War. Those campaigns form part of the service history of the later M242 application of 25×137mm ammunition. The Oerlikon and Bradley connections show how the cartridge format continued in military use well beyond the early period represented by this case.
Condition
All ordnance is inert. Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item.
Ideal For
This display round suits a collection focused on Oerlikon ammunition, European case manufacturers, or Cold War ordnance. Its combined Oe/PSW headstamp offers a useful subject for studying manufacturer identification and production dates. It also complements an exhibit tracing the 25×137mm cartridge family from its early development to later vehicle-mounted weapons.
- 25mm cartridge and inert ammunition collections.
- Displays about Oerlikon and Presta industrial history.
- Cold War ordnance exhibits.
- Educational displays about cartridge headstamps.
Approx length 9", Approx width 1.5", Approx height 1.5", Approx weight 1.0lbs.
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