Relic mortar/grenade tail -- ID etc. needed---

**slados28** · 05-04-2014, 05:06 PM

So, I was out digging today trying out my Euro Ace for the first time --- went to a local place where there was a lot of German activity during the war (no fighting/battles though) and didn't really find much. The ground was way too rocky and filled with roots making it impossible to dig and with my only "find" being a 10 Kr coin (Norwegian) from 1986 I decided to check out a nearby beach instead. Not much there either, if you count out the ever so exciting tin foil and bottle caps, so I took a walk up to a park of sorts --- just an area with some trails and grassy fields. First signals I got were yet more bottle caps, boring, but I walked on further until I got a very heavy/solid sounding signal --- figuring it was just more iron or steel scrap like I had dug earlier in the day I didn't really want to dig but for some reason decided to forge ahead with it anyway.

And --- what I found were the two items below... looks like mortar/grenade tails to me but I have not been able to positively identify them yet. Obviously they did not come home with me as I was unsure of what they were and whether they were inert/spent or not (although it seemed like at least one had been fired).

Relic mortar/grenade tail -- ID etc. needed---

So, suggestions as to what exactly these two items are and whether or not they are actually safe? I can't see them being anything else than ww2 but other than that I'm stumped...

**MilitariaOne** · 05-04-2014, 05:19 PM

My guess would be it is a shell fin for a 50mm leichte Granatwerfer 36's round. If it was fired (appears to be) then it is not dangerous in the least.

Regards,

Lance

**slados28** · 05-04-2014, 05:51 PM

Thank you very much for the info, Lance! So, provided that both of these are spent (evidenced by the strike mark that can be seen to be present on one of them) I can safely take them home? Even though I have great respect for this type of ordnance it'd be really neat to have these as my first self found relics of this kind... as long as I know they are safe, that is.

**James C** · 05-04-2014, 06:02 PM

nice finds and great to hear you take your own safety and others around you seriously

**slados28** · 05-04-2014, 06:23 PM

Appreciate the kind words, James! I always think safety first, especially when it comes to this type of old corroded ordnance... once I know for sure I hope to maybe take these home and clean them up, not before I'm able to tell that they're actually safe though.

**MilitariaOne** · 05-04-2014, 07:26 PM

by slados28

Thank you very much for the info, Lance! So, provided that both of these are spent (evidenced by the strike mark that can be seen to be present on one of them) I can safely take them home? Even though I have great respect for this type of ordnance it'd be really neat to have these as my first self found relics of this kind... as long as I know they are safe, that is.

In terms of blowing up or danger they (again, if fired/spent) are as dangerous as a spent/fired rifle shell's cartridge (i.e. not dangerous). That said, you may get/have legal issues based upon where they were recovered from (public/private lands). Baring any law issues, I think they are a great souvenir and thanks for sharing your pictures.

Regards,

Lance

**slados28** · 05-04-2014, 08:03 PM

Thanks again! Anything in particular I should check to make sure they are spent/fired? Meaning, other than checking for the firing pin strike--

oh... almost forgot, no law issues with this kind of relic from this location here.

**MilitariaOne** · 05-04-2014, 11:50 PM

Chances are they are inert with a missing warhead and a indented primer. Baring it having been a dud (I'm referring to the primer), then you have nothing to worry about. There's no way to really know if the primer is still live, but putting the indent and missing warhead together (as clues) it would be very unlikely the primer was still "live." Can't give you a better determination as your asking me to tell you what is going on under of all of the dirt and corrosion. I would not have any issue with keeping/displaying the items after removing the excess dirt.

Regards,

Lance

**slados28** · 05-06-2014, 07:39 PM

Thanks again, Lance! Thought I'd show a quick few snaps of one of them in the process of being cleaned up --- not too bad, some of the red paint I've seen these coated with is also still on there in places.

Perhaps not much to the more experienced but I'm happy with this as my first decent ww2 detecting find, going back soon... there were more signals that I did not dig