WW1 75mm Shrapnel Shell w/ lead balls.

[The Rooster]

On 9/21/2023 at 12:13 AM, Kileriuxser said:

Yeh i guess I'll just call ^_^

That is the best course. Those shells are unstable. People will do what they do.

Does not mean those folks that throw them in the trunk are doing the right thing.

I've been around lots of old shells in training areas. Artillery mortars......

Ive had to stop people from messing with the things. When we found em, we reported the

grid coordinates up the chain to Range control they went  and EOD came and blew them up in place.

 Do yourself a favor and call who ever it is that handles the stuff and get rid of it.

That thing could kill you.

 

 

[917601]

Being a dug relic, caution. I have my opinions on calling the local law, they know nothing about ordnance. I have seen to many inert examples seized and A) blown up or B) confiscated and sitting on the Sheriffs bookcase. Simple guide lines, if grand paw had it, he wasn’t stupid, it has been deactivated. In WW 2, all the bring backs were rendered safe by the Army, letters issued, approval granted….today, everyone goes haywire ASSUMING grand paws ordnance is dangerous…that said, careful study of color,  blue? Gold? Driving bands untouched? 
 

Dug relics should be disposed of preferably by NOT reporting it, a deep river, any large body of water, etc…don’t mess with dug ordnance.

[illinigander]

I have several unfired 7.6cm MW projectiles and the dug example is not one of them.

illinigander

[kfields]

I'd like to take a peek inside just to take a look. Is there any special technique or tool to do this? Of course I don't want to mess with the paint or patina. 

Kim

[illinigander]

I would start by soaking the whole fuse mech. in penetrating oil for a month or so.  ATF makes a good liquid for the job, and can be obtained used if you know someone working in a garage.

illinigander

[robinb]

1 hour ago, kfields said:

I'd like to take a peek inside just to take a look. Is there any special technique or tool to do this? Of course I don't want to mess with the paint or patina. 

Kim

Bent fuse and grooved rotating band. It's been fired and recovered. No boom.

[Steve B.]

Quote

The CW cap & ball revolvers were rifled and the bullets were therefore pointed, unsuitable as case shot.

illinigander  

Not so.  Civil War percussion cap rifles used a hollow-based pointed lead slug - the Minie ball, but pistols used a plain round ball of appropriate caliber, the most common being .44 and .36 inches.

[917601]

That was what a museum curator stated, the WW1 era shrapnel rounds were designed to use the lead balls ( pistol .44) of which they had tons upon tons of surplus. I believe the .44 ball was used as when stacked the overall diameter of the layers of balls fit neatly inside the interior shell…the balls were also were encased in a “ matrix” mixture that produced smoke so the gunners could adjust the range of the falling lead balls….many accounts of the shrapnel shells exploding just forward ( 50-100 yards) in front of the advancing infantry.