3 Inch US Shells

Picked up a pair of what I believe are 3 inch US artillery shells, probably high explosive, today.

I don't have much information to go on with either of them. The shorter of the two only has one marking that I can find and it is the US Ordnance symbol on the fuse This one also has a pinned fuse. It won't come out or turn. The taller of the two has quite a few identifying marks including the Ordnance symbol and the Ordnance bomb on the bottom. This ones cap screws off as well as the wooden plug.

They came with an additional fuse which has numerous markings.

If you can tell me more about any of them from the photos, I'd apprecite it.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../8QyYpqs-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../DFQiOhg-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../7OFomWt-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../B7kI23b-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../NNEkOE0-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../hhcSVOO-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../rUyMOjO-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../E5pmgyf-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../1JkPBH3-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../eMGKV6q-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../r9Qq1Ai-1.jpg

I have been trying to avoid collecting ordinance for lack of room. You are not making it easy with photos like that.
Very nice score.

It isn't taking up much room because I can't find much of it. I started collecting them about a year ago when an older member of my church gave me some WWI casings his dad brought home from WWI. I quickly bought up everything I could find locally and then that was it. Few and far between. These came from a very small military day at a flea market about an hour and a half away. Shells seem to be a lot rarer than casings. I didn't ask the guy how much the first time around because I figured it would be some ungodly sum. But I thought about it and figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Got the pair plus the extra fuse for $80 which I thought was very reasonable.

That stuff used to be around forty years ago but then so were the guys that shot it. It's gone into collections and is gone. The brass has been melted down by the second and third generations that have no connection to it. Sent to the scrap yards...drive bands cut off... Check your local scrap dealer and ask about big brass from time to time.

Its like enfielditis they like to flock together be prepared for them to multiply, all what I can fit in other stuff in the shed & smaller cases on book shelves its getting harder to sit in my room.......:ugh:

Ha! Ha! Looks just like my brother's home office!

I'd say the marked nosecaps were Ilumination fuses.

"...collecting ordinance..." An ordinance is a law. Stuff that goes boom, bang or whoosh is ordnance.
This might help.
http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/Identifi...rojectiles.pdf

One 1944 105 casing and a couple of the navy powder test canisters is the extent of my present collection. I have been forwarding my ordinance finds to a friend with more room. Nice photos I may have to expand my horizons.

Nice find just be careful, next it will be trench art, then you will need a bigger house.:madsmile:

I saved a copy of that file very interesting cheers:thup:

The file is interesting but mostly WWII to modern stuff, even if you follow the link back to the original site where they have quite a few PDF's. Still thinking these two are WWI time frame.