Slydog
has rocks in the head
Member since February 2006
Posts: 555
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Post by Slydog on Jan 11, 2010 14:19:31 GMT -5
Many hills in WY were used for target practice for airplanes during WWII, and I have found these casings in both WY and SD. Any more info from anyone? Large casings the next two are of 'bottoms' I've found two different calibers.... bottoms again... Any info is welcome! I am not even sure if 'casings' and 'caliber' are the right terms, duh Nona
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 11, 2010 15:19:43 GMT -5
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 11, 2010 15:22:18 GMT -5
oh, that 1954 looks like a year stamp so it might be post WWII
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Post by Woodyrock on Jan 11, 2010 15:39:30 GMT -5
Both casings are from aircraft guns. The smaller is the standard 50 caliber machine gun round, and the larger is from a 20mm aircraft cannon. A word of warning about the 20mm...when the guns were/are charged, they often spit out the first round unfired, so if you find one with the projectile still in it............DO NOT pick it up. The 20mm round has an explosive charge that can destroy an aircraft, car, truck etc let alone the person picking it up. the dangerous thing about these old shells is the detonator which will have crystalized with age, and beocome VERY sensitive. Most of these have already gone of from natural causes by now, but some are still being found. Woody
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jan 11, 2010 16:08:53 GMT -5
I would be VEWWY CAREFUL with that Cannon Ball, as Elmer Fudd say's, it is probably a Dud, but it could function normally if dropped. A slight bump COULD set it off.
No B.S. , it is probably still capable of reducing YOU and your SHOP into small non recognizable pieces ! It might be a good idea to check with a Civil War collector type Guru and see what they have to say about old Cannon rounds. I hate to be the one to cause you worry but spent almost 30 years making and developing munitions of all kinds and from past experience have found that Hang Fire type thingees can cause you a LOT of grief !
To make a long story shorter, you would be missed by all of us!
Harley
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 11, 2010 16:19:24 GMT -5
Yep, aircraft machine gun and cannon rounds. See those in many areas of the California desert. Like Woody said, if unfired the 20MM rounds especially, have a big primer and a lot of powder and can be quite dangerous. I used to have a buddy who collected military brass. He found a live 40MM round along SF Bay. A story he told me, don't know if it's true or not, was he removed the head of the round and emptied the powder but still had a live primer. So he buried the shell in his kids sandbox with just the end of the base protruding and rigged a weighted punch to strike the primer so as to fire it off. He said, even though he was a ways from the shell, he was spitting sand for days.....Mel
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jan 11, 2010 16:23:43 GMT -5
The last Civil War fatality was Mr. Sam White, a Civil War artifact collector. He was cleaning an old Naval cannon ball, 75 pounder , in his drive way. The year was 2008, May 5th. Houses 400 yards away were damaged and the authorities decided that no autopsy was necessary
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Post by Woodyrock on Jan 12, 2010 1:38:14 GMT -5
If the 'cannon ball' is ball shaped, and has NO round spot that is green, or brass coloured it is most likely solid shot. The majority of Civil War shot was solid. If however there is a green, or brass coloured plug this would indicate an explosive shell. The explosive used at that time was gun cotton.......which is extemely stable in a wet environment. This means it will still do today exactly what it was meant to do when new. As Agatemaggot said Mr. Sam White discovered this, and he will not be the last to do so. Woody
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jan 12, 2010 9:23:14 GMT -5
From what I picked up reading, one out of five explosive rounds failed to detonate when they were supposed to. From the million's of rounds fired back then, we will probably be losing artifact collectors well into the future !
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jcinpc
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2009
Posts: 722
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 12, 2010 9:30:10 GMT -5
The last Civil War fatality was Mr. Sam White, a Civil War artifact collector. He was cleaning an old Naval cannon ball, 75 pounder , in his drive way. The year was 2008, May 5th. Houses 400 yards away were damaged and the authorities decided that no autopsy was necessary what made that situation even worse is the feds came in and confiscated all his ordinance and destroyed them. What a waste
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 12, 2010 16:13:26 GMT -5
O Man, Nona, sorry for that really dumb idea.
Ok, guys, that info is scary. I thought all cannonballs were solid and did not explode. I just checked to see if there was any green or brass round spot and it looks to be solid. There is a very faint but difinitive raised line circumferencing the ball. Maybe a seam.
I think lady luck was on my side because I have hammered silver wire many times on that cannonball.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jan 12, 2010 18:17:29 GMT -5
The way your luck is running , it might be a good idea to go out and buy a powerball ticket !
Harley
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