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  1. #1
    Contributing Member Aragorn243's Avatar
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    Serious Safety Concern with 3 inch Shell

    I posted a few days ago in the productive Saturday thread about being the winner of a 3" 50 cal brass shell casing. The seller included a shell which they were not sure went with the casing but it was with it when they acquired it.

    It arrived today. The shell appears to be correct size, fits in the casing. It is rusted badly, is missing the brass expansion ring but has a perfect condition brass screw cap in the bottom. I'm a bit concerned this thing may still be active. No fuse on the top, just a solid shot from what I can tell, feels heavy like it is solid but the brass plug suggests otherwise. There is writing on the bottom but I can 't make it out, most is too far gone from the rust, but this suggests it is a real shell, not something someone cast up like I initially thought. I honestly can't see a shell in this condition with a brass plug that shows no oxidation at all being original to the shell but weird things can happen.





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    Contributing Member Flying10uk's Avatar
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    Brass items that have been buried in the ground for years can appear almost brand new once cleaned up because brass is a very corrosion resistant metal. The brass plug can only be a new replacement or the original that has been cleaned up. I wonder if this item has been cleaned (the whole shell) in a ultrasonic cleaner and that it has cleaned the brass better than the steel? I have no experience of using ultrasonic cleaners and so I am not familiar with the results that are achievable. Perhaps someone with experience can advise, please?

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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    That one looks like it would be from a sabot round. The ogive is not a straight line, it can't engage the rifling like that. The base is bigger than the outside diameter of the projectile...there's no rifling marks on the outside of the base either. I can't say what the brass screw does for certain, to be honest, I'd have never picked this relic up. Looks like it comes from the low water line of the ocean. Here's what I think of when you speak of a 3" projectile...3"-50 or 3"-70...
    Regards, Jim

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    Contributing Member Aragorn243's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
    I'd have never picked this relic up.
    Clarify that please, you would not have picked it up because it's in bad shape or could explode at any instant? I didn't buy it, it was included for free with the brass casing I bought. I never saw it until if came out of the box today.

    ---------- Post added at 07:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:53 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Flying10uk View Post
    I wonder if this item has been cleaned (the whole shell)
    Now that you mention it, the whole thing should be covered in rust. Probably has been cleaned. Bottom still rusty however.

    If the thing is safe, I might clean it up, fill in the missing metal, paint it and stick it in the end of the casing. I have three 3 inch 50 cal practice rounds all complete, one has a removable tip, the other is pointed but not removable, the third looks just like this one, shorter and round top.
    Last edited by Aragorn243; 05-09-2017 at 08:00 PM.

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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aragorn243 View Post
    it's in bad shape
    Mostly because I can't identify it at 3 ft distance...and it could actually be ANYTHING...but is probably nothing dangerous. And I mean the first day when whomever saw it picked it up. There's no PD fuse in the nose, or evidence of one. They're made of dissimilar metal and usually brass at that so it wouldn't have just blended in with the steel. I still think there was some sort of sabot exterior because of the outside shape of this one.
    Regards, Jim

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    Contributing Member Aragorn243's Avatar
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    Whatever it is fits tight in the 3" 50 cal casing. I know that doesn't mean it is a 3" 50 cal but that at least gives everyone a dimension for the base of the shell. The writing is on the bottom and circles the base. Just can't read anything other than a few numbers and letters and they don't show in the photo hardly at all. I do see what you mean about a it being a sabot and missing its cover. It would make sense.

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    Contributing Member CINDERS's Avatar
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    You could use electrolosis on the item to get rid of the rust then see what markings are revealed, also it has survived the postal journey and if it was delivered by FedEx as we have seen here in Aus they usually turf the package over your fence (TV Bloopers-was taken on security footage of a FedEx employee delivering a box that way strolled up to the gate and threw the box over it......)

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    UPS actually delivered it and were pretty careful with it. I watched the guy lay it on my porch before I could get to the door. I actually dumped it out of the box onto the floor. It was bubble wrapped. I suspect electrolysis is what got it in the condition it's in, why the bottom is still bad is a mystery.

    So none of you think this thing is going to blow up if I try to get the brass plug out of it?

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    Contributing Member CINDERS's Avatar
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    See if you can get hold of Bomb Doc he has not been on here for a while though but from his posts it appears he has had allot of explosives/ordnance experience.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aragorn243 View Post
    So none of you think this thing is going to blow up if I try to get the brass plug out of it?
    I think if it were going to go off it would have. I'd think bombdoc would be able to give an educated guess too...
    Regards, Jim

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