What is this shell and is it safe?

[scaddenp]

We have "inherited" a chromed artillery shell. Family lore says my wife's grandfather apparently returned to NZ it with after fighting in WW1, Egypt and Gallipoli. He was invalided home after Somme but spent time in London recuperating from shrapnel wounds so could have acquired it there. At some point it got chromed (probably her father did that). It has been used as a door stop for at least 70 years.



We are hoping that the long distance transport, the chroming and long use as doorstop all imply that the shell is safe but how can you know? There is no hole in the bottom.

For id, the fuze has arabic numbering on the ring, and arabic?? lettering on the very tip. It also has conventional numbers stamped onto both the fuze and on the base of the shell (6M12). The diameter at the base is 72mm.

[08SMLE48]

The shell has been fired but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “safe”. The fuze could’ve failed to function and the shell part still be live. If you could provide weight and close ups of the markings the explosive ordinance folks will be able to tell you everything you need to know.

[scaddenp]

Thanks for that. The weight is 2.2kg (4.85lb).
Markings not the easiest to photograph, but here is the fuze


and this is best I can do of the cone.

[08SMLE48]

I would definitely say that it is Ottoman (Turkish). They used quite a few different types of 75mm artillery pieces. Others that have extensive reference and know much more about the ordinance it’s self should chime in to fill in the blanks before too long.

[sargetom]

As a former Army mortarman I can tell you that this shell has a time fuse on it which means it could be adjust using a special wrench to adjusted to cook off like say directly over a target instead of on impact.

[08SMLE48]

Yes as sarge says it is a time fuze. There should be a mark on the ring of the fuze below the numbers. The numbers are in seconds so where that mark is you can look up the Arabic numeral and determine the seconds the fuze was set for. The holes in the nose of the fuze is where the wrench would go to set the time on the fuze.

[scaddenp]

The fuze time thingy turns pretty freely now, no need for a wrench. but I am not keen on doing so until sure it is safe.

[Teck 147]

Hope you're high and dry down there.

It is a turkish/Ottomann built "license" Copy of a 75mm/7,5cm Shell. The Gas vents for the Powder train in the pyrotechnic T(ime) & P(ercussion) Fuze are burnt out, so something functioned there in flight. The damage to the leading edge of the Shell that doesn't correspond to the damage on the Fuze shows that the Fuze separated from a Shell and that they were collected separately and put together (they probably were not fired together). The minimal weight of the whole lot (originally weighed about 5.5kg) shows that the Shrapnel is gone.
So.
You've got two pieces of 1 or 2 expended/ functioned shell(s) repaired to look like 1. Put it back on the Mantel and lest we forget the horrendous History that it symbolises. In your Case with a very Personal connection

[Teck 147]

The holes in the nose of the fuze is where the wrench would go to set the time on the fuze.

I'd be careful with that claim if I were you. Such mistakes led to Mistrust against "Dropshorts"
The keyholes are used to fix together and then the Fuze into the Shell. The Mobile Ring adjusts the Fuze time

[08SMLE48]

I'd be careful with that claim if I were you. Such mistakes led to Mistrust against "Dropshorts"
The keyholes are used to fix together and then the Fuze into the Shell. The Mobile Ring adjusts the Fuze time

Very well. My mistake I thought there would be a place in the lower part of the fuze for a wrench to go in the lower part of the fuze for the fixing of it to the shell. That’s why experts like you are here to clarify and correct mistakes.