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Live artilery shell found in shed locally...

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  • Ric-san

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    Ok here’s the story I was told by a co-worker yesterday. Story starts with the my co-worker coming into our break room asking if anyone had an “extra” 105mm type brass shell case. I work on Hurlbert Field, a USAF AFSOC base. We work on C-130’s, mostly gunships, talon 2’s, and the new “J” models. Over 90% of my co-workers are former or retired USAF that worked in AFSOC during thier career, so lots of them have shell casings form back in the day while on active duty. I asked him why he needed an shell casing and he starts to tell me that on Monday of this week, he was called over to a church members house locally (Okaloosa Co.) to look at so something. It was the wife and she wanted to know if the shell her husband brought home from work was dangerous. Co-worker being retired Air Force recognizes it as a ‘live’ artillery round. He called the Sheriff’s Department who sent a deputy to investigate, and onece he arrived, took a pic and called Eglin’s’s EOD section. It took them a while to respond, the area was cleared and the suspect round was x-rayed with inconclusive results....but they removed the round to dispose of it on base. Apparently the round was found after some backhoe work somewhere in Defuniak Springs area within the last year. The friend was upset that he didn’t have anything to show for his ‘artilery round’, hence my co-worker was/is looking for a shell casing to give the church member. Wow....

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    FrommerStop

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    One of the first things you look is the driving band on the shell. If it has been engraved by the rifling it means the shell was fired and that for some reason is considered more dangerous. In any case I do not pick such things up. It looks like to me I see slanted striations on the driving band suggesting it was fired, but apparently the EOD team thought it safe enough to transport to be disposed of. I use to work on clean up of former military ammunition plants and was taught a little which means do not mess with such things. Call someone.
     

    kendive

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    I have a museum grade 105mm round. Yes it's inert. I collect this stuff.

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    Droshki

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    .....it means the shell was fired and that for some reason is considered more dangerous......


    I have no knowledge of this particular round, or artillery in general, but generally the way it works with military weapons is that before launch/firing/release, the arming circuit/mechanism is disconnected. This makes it safe(r) to transport/load/kick/drop/EMI, etc.

    Only after launch/firing/release would it become armed. Generally this is accomplished by sensing its environment/movement, and generally more then one indication is required, for obvious reasons. For example Archerfish destructors measure distance from the launch system, and water pressure, and these two things allow the arming circuits to go live, and a potential firing sequence to occur. After that things are less safe, because something can impinge on the actual firing mechanism (LEEFI*, in this case) and cause a firing. Again, not knowing anything about arty, I would guess in this instance, linear acceleration/velocity, combined with rotational velocity caused by the firing, would enable the arming circuits/mechanism, and make the round to be considered less safe.

    I would imagine in this case, the X-ray was to determine the position of the arming mechanism/circuits.



    *Google fails us: Low Energy Exploding Foil Initiator.
     

    FrommerStop

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    I have no knowledge of this particular round, or artillery in general, but generally the way it works with military weapons is that before launch/firing/release, the arming circuit/mechanism is disconnected. This makes it safe(r) to transport/load/kick/drop/EMI, etc.

    Only after launch/firing/release would it become armed. Generally this is accomplished by sensing its environment/movement, and generally more then one indication is required, for obvious reasons. For example Archerfish destructors measure distance from the launch system, and water pressure, and these two things allow the arming circuits to go live, and a potential firing sequence to occur. After that things are less safe, because something can impinge on the actual firing mechanism (LEEFI*, in this case) and cause a firing. Again, not knowing anything about arty, I would guess in this instance, linear acceleration/velocity, combined with rotational velocity caused by the firing, would enable the arming circuits/mechanism, and make the round to be considered less safe.

    I would imagine in this case, the X-ray was to determine the position of the arming mechanism/circuits.
    *Google fails us: Low Energy Exploding Foil Initiator.
    On this you are thinking of modern military technology rather than what was well established by WWI if not earlier. IIRC has to do with the detonator having been struck upon impact. From what little I understand there is possibility that even though it was a dud, it is not inert and the least little amount of mechanical disturbance could set off the detonator and then the fuse. If it is not been fired they could even disarm it, but all of the UXO people i knew said they preferred blow us UXO from a safe distance.
    The UXO technicians had handbooks with diagrams of the most common types of american and combloc munitions and there are sorts of ways in which they can be armed such as the many mechanisms for what you were saying.
     

    FrommerStop

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    Believe it or not people have found shells from the american civil war and they if there is a bursting charge are still considered to be dangerous.
     

    m4a1sof

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    About fifteen years ago after a big storm I found about half a dozen unfired .50 caliber rounds washed up on the beach in PC near the pass. All were dated in the forties. Doubt they would still fire, it looked like they had been in the water for quite awhile.
     

    FrommerStop

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    About fifteen years ago after a big storm I found about half a dozen unfired .50 caliber rounds washed up on the beach in PC near the pass. All were dated in the forties. Doubt they would still fire, it looked like they had been in the water for quite awhile.
    Maybe part of a belt that with time the links rusted away. Could be from a coast guard ship 50 bmg.
     

    kendive

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    my cats would join forces and knock that off the counter, just because they are spiteful cats...

    That's funny... Our cats don't pay that stuff no mind at all...

    I don't keep it on the kitchen counter. I took that pic after we got it. My wife bought that for me :)

    Here is where it stays.

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    M60Gunner

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    That is a great collection. How I wish I had taken advantage and kept some of the things I had a chance to while on AD. Ah well, hind sight is always clearer..
     

    kendive

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    That is a great collection. How I wish I had taken advantage and kept some of the things I had a chance to while on AD. Ah well, hind sight is always clearer..

    Here are some more pics... Some of this stuff I have taken the time to restore myself. It's alot of work!

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    Mr5ERYK.jpg


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    spongemonkey

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    Wow! How many years have you been collecting these?
     
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