Considering the number of colleagues world wide that are on here I'd say the dogs already awake and sniffing.by PierreN
Personally if I wasn't qualified to inspect it I'd be getting someone else to. Not every weapon of war is going to hurt someone even when full. Sometimes it's also necessary to consider other aspects of the problem
Teck,
Hello colleague! Several comments on this one mate.
Firstly, having bought it, transported it, handled it, done whatever else to it, it is not a great time to ask "Is it safe". However at least you asked.
Secondly It is a WW1 period 1 Pr made by Vicker's Son's and Maxim as already said. However this type of projectile, (along with a couple of other types) comes with a Hotchkiss nose fuze. This is the second most dangerous fuze fitted to a projectile that you can get, (the Hotchkiss base fuze is number 1).
Thirdly if any of the professionals even contemplated taking one of these apart the would be sacked on the spot, if they survived. That I can guarantee you! I have a very good friend who lost his ability to juggle because of a Hotchkiss Base Fuze.
Oh, and yes I fully agree, the dogs never sleep indeed they also have a very long reach. As was said there are some experts around here who will give sound advice. Teck's advice of report it to the authorities and let them deal with it is both a safe and will prevent you from committing various offences.
The Netherlands has a large amount of dangerous stuff still lying around so it is vital that care be taken. Indeed I am in the Netherlands in a couple of months discussing just these sort of things with your authorities.
My advice is heed what was said, the difference between wise and stupid is knowing when to listen!
R
Well. I bought it online on a auction from a thrift store. Was a big box with many things and not good pictures. It had a fair amount off belt buckles which i thought first they were ww2 so i was focused on that and not what was more in the box. Then when i "won" the auction i went to pick it up throwed it in the back off my car and drove home. I was again focused on those belt buckles which very fast i found out they were ww1 and Weimar so disappointed but ok. Sell it all and try to get the money back. Then i started to investigate what is more in the box and i found this item that started to make me wonder. And more later i started to be worried what was in this box.... And startedcto investigate and being worried also ... Also because the "shop" has more times things from several wars and they always write that they first investigate if " things" are safe before selling. In this case i trusted them blindly , which i should not do, and much later started to find out i might have bought a surpise in a box..,,..
Thank you for the extra info. Exactly what i was worried about when i looked for the first time closely to this thing.
Already what i wanted to do. Especially since i do not have any clue were these items are coming from. Many times these shops have things from emptying houses were the owner died and the next off kin call those to empty the house.
The EOD team, or whatever your Explosive Ordnance unit is called where you live, needs something to do as well. It will be way over done to the next level of over done, but rest assured you and everyone within a mile radius will be safe. That is just how it works.
John
My two points.
Brass ring is intact, so it was never shot or flied in anger. So, not a ground dig.
Second. Someone has already opened the nose-cap open with wrench, at least once. There is fresher, bright scratch marking in nose cap.
If it didn't open easily, dont force-open it.
From nose-cap scratch markings i would decide myself, safe. It has been opened before.
Oh and insides of these dont hold gunpowder, but likely somethin Yellow clay-like TNT or other explosive goo substance.
I am not going to touch it at all.... I put it already inbetween two thick foam and will call the experts
My two points...
The brass ring or driving band is not cut so correct one can ascertain, the shell was not fired. Unfortunately this is a QF shell without its case. The fitted Fuze uses a simple set back and doesn't need to be fired to be activated. The state of the shells base allows the assumption that the case was removed a very long time after it was pressed on so it could still be a ground find or even worse a failed demolition that flung the shell, which depending on impact could have activated the Fuze as could a drop from about 2m or repeated drops from less.
The filling for the mk I and II was very definitely FG and as such coarse black powder.
Yes the Fuze looks like someone tried to remove it but did they succeed?
By the way Pierre a bucket of wet sand is more effective than foam if you've got one but leaving it simply where it is (as long as it's not going to fall on its own) is always the simplest way of staying safe (if you don't have curious little hands in the house)
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