Description
You are bidding on a VERY RARE example of a WW2 Royal Italian “OPX a 35” High Explosive Percussion Nose Fuze! This was SPECIFIC to the 37/54 Breda Anti-Aircraft Cannon.
The OPX a 35 was a centrifugal safety, percussion nose fuze utilized on Italian 37/54 Breda H.E. ammunition during the Second World War. The 37/54 Breda was widely employed by both the Regia Marina and Regio Esercito in anti-aircraft and naval defense roles. This aluminum-bodied fuze incorporates the Italian OPX a 35 clockwork and centrifugal safety system design, utilizing setback and rotational force to arm the detonator upon firing. Contemporary U.S. technical intelligence manuals document the OPX a 35 pattern, yet notably list the overall length, diameter, and thread size as unknown, further reinforcing the relative scarcity of surviving documented examples. Italian ordnance of this type is far less commonly encountered than its German counterparts, and clearly marked examples are seldom seen on today’s collector market.
The Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 (Breda) was a 37 mm (1.5 in) automatic anti-aircraft gun produced by the Breda company in Italy. It was used by both the Regia Marina and the Regio Esercito during World War II, with the former using it as the standard light anti-aircraft weapon on its battleships and cruisers. Nazi Germany used captured weapons after the surrender of Italy in 1943 as the 3.7 cm Breda (i).
Made of aluminum, this example is 100% INERT and completely devoid of all internal components. The cavity is entirely empty and contains no explosive content whatsoever. It measures approximately 5cm in overall height and approximately 3cm in maximum diameter. The aluminum body remains solid with no cracks, dents, corrosion, or pitting. All threads are intact and clean with no cross-threading or damage. The brass lower threaded section is original and untouched. There has been absolutely no cleaning or polishing. Markings are clearly stamped and include:
L.21
31-1-41-XIX
O.P.X.a.35
II
