If you cannot see that the inside of this shell is empty, you have to assume it is live. The side pocket fuzes are very worrying as one is likely to be an anti-tamper fuze, and the other could be a time fuze. One looks intact and the other looks like the top has corroded away. What is certain is that it is an artillery shell big enough to atomise everything within about 100yards, and kill everyone else within 500yards. You need to get it checked and quickly.
This round is most probably still live. As said it is a disaster waiting to happen. An EOD team would probably try to blow it in place or use a high pressure water cutting jet to open it up and empty the TNT.
If you mess with it U gonna die... but quite painlessly. Those 200 yards away may not be as lucky.
Bit of a quandary this one, its not an aerial bomb, but there are side fuses that are raised from the shell,which would make it difficult to be fired from a large artillery piece,unless there was an outer covering that has since rotted away,needless to say the fuses are still present, one rotted one intact,double fuses were sometimes designed to fool BD teams, one being the actual fuse the other a tamper proof joined to the other,seeing both fuses are there,I would exercise great caution they alone could ruin your year,and until you have proof positive that it has been deactivated and not by word of another person I would suggest you treat this as dangerous
I must agree...I see no indication that this projectile is disarmed and therefore it should be considered live...
cheers, Glenn
The shape makes it almost certainly an Artillery shell without it's brass casing. No aerial dropped bombs came with flat bases and sharply pointed snouts-there would be no need for such shape to be simply dropped from a plane. The nose cone is the main fuse. The 2 screw in ports could well be entries to fill the explosive charge with or possibly even secondary fuses, but I doubt it. As for it being live or deact, the nose cone appears to have been off at one time or another, so I can't imagine it containing anything by way of charge anymore, but, having said that, I would still Treat it as Live until you can have it properly checked. As said, it is Large enough to take out a good percent of your average city block.
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
Sorry to disagree with the consensus, but I really don't see artillery shell here - I don't profess to be an expert by any means, but I have seen more variety of large shells first hand than most - the fuse pockets (if that's what they are) are definitely raised and appear to be welded to the casing - making a high velocity artillery shell out of the equation - also where are the drive bands? a plain steel projectile cannot seal inside a rifled barrel. Most aerial bombs do have flat "bases" without their fin assembly attached, not to mention a "pointy end" - though very few have what appears to be a separate nose cone and possible nose impact fuse. All that is certain is that it appears to be a large munition of some sort - surely there are enough distinctive features here for a true expert to id? I would be fascinated to know what it it actually is (and be prepared to be wrong!).
Without knowing the dimensions this is a bit of a stab in the dark, but how about this 406mm coastal gun? Missing the outer casing and drive bands. If that wiki is correct though, god knows why the ammo ended up in Greece. Assuming it is this round that is.
40.6 cm SK C/34 gun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hi NickW. I can't understand what "drive bands" is. Sorry but my english isn' so rich! If you mean a material that should cover the shell, it has been removed by the owner.by NickW
Thanx everyone for your interest. The owner told me that it's deactivated, but as you say that the two holes are extra fuses, i will tell him to be very careful with that. My opinion, as i said from the beginning, is that it's an Italian heavy naval artillery shell. I will measure the bottom and i'll check out if it's empty or not (by seeing from the bottom). What do you suggest me to say to the owner about the future of this shell? Keep it or call the army to blow it up?
They are brass bands / rings that go around the projectile. They deform into the rifling in the barrel to form a seal and help the shell spin.
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