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"Shell and flame" - early form of a hand grenade, AKA "flaming bomb". US Army Ordnance Corps origin.
Stamped on all manner of DoD-acquired weaponry or the goods to manufacture or support same, usually land warfare related. US Navy used an anchor. UK a broad arrow, "etc"..
So yes.. millions have seen the insignia.
Or worn it.
Google will find you the whole who-struck-John on it from a search on "US Ordnance markings".
Here's nice clean example on a pump shotgun:
https://fws-files.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/website/auctions/items/full/1962108_3.jpg
First saw that, as a little kid, Watertown Arsenal, I thot it represented those round bowling-ball lookalike kerosene-fueled highway markers used at road contruction detours!
"Somewhere.." in the family.. is a set of solid Walnut bookends that the toolroom staff hand crafted with solid brass "Shell and Flame" decor.
Some sort of appreciation for Dad's work at Watertown.
Need for artillery was a tad desperate, as it were. Seems we had "misplaced" rather a lot of it amongst the confusion of the Korean War:
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/giangreco.pdf
If only your Old Hendey could share conversations overheard over its long years of service!
682bear:
Normally, the records indicate if a customer was military, in this case there is no reference to any government agency.
Hendey lathe No.19437, a 12 x 5 Cone Head model was completed during the last week of November 1917. It was shipped with a Taper
Attachment. The original owner was the Coldwell Lawn Mower Company, Newburgh, New York. At a later date it was owned by the Portable
Products Corporation, Newburgh, New York. There are no longer any Patterns, Castings or Repair Parts left in inventory for this lathe,
but all of the original drawings are still in the files, so parts can be made if required.
Hendeyman
Serial number reduces probability of the bed being swapped from some other lathe to the vanishing point.
Not sure if used equipent donated or sold into War work was so marked, but "could be".
The other possibility is countrefeit for reasons hard to fathom..
Heraldry and Army history sez there were, in fact, variations in the rendering.
So I wouldn't waste a lot of time on that part.
What matters is that the Hendey tie-bar was about the ruggedest AND easiest to put right "basic" lathe anyone ever built in quantity, any where, any time.
Bar none.
Even the "Hendeyitis" of a tapered plain spindle bearing worn to jamming is a feature, not a bug. Because it is so easily - and accurately - "put right" again for yet-another go at serving long and well.
Enjoy THAT bit of history!
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