ID Artillery round

[goFFer]

The thing is, I got this shell yesterday from my stepfather but I have no idea what type of round it is so i thought that if there is a place I could ask it's here.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8610/imgp8890xy4.jpg

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/3474/imgp8888mk5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/3474/imgp8888mk5.df7a0018a1.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=126&i=imgp8888mk5.jpg)

Thanks in advance...

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Any idea on the date of manufacture?

[goFFer]

No idea of manufacturer, the first guess is that it's belgian cause that's where I'm from.
There is something on the bottom that looks like a unit badge or id, I'll try to take a picture of it

ok here it is, although not easy to seehttp://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2863/imgp8894ck0.jpg

[Straker]

Any idea if it is deactivated more importantly??

[Tribunius]

Looks like a round from a tank gun. Possibly ww2 in origin. Though in all honesty I'm guessing.

[Tribunius]

What dimensions is it? Yeah the stamp on the base would be useful.

[PaulClift]

Any idea if it is deactivated more importantly??

This ^^

If my stepdad gave me something like that I'd check he had not rigged it up to some sort of timer :o

[Deatheye]

Well, to me it looks like an old Tank shell, because modern tank shells don't look like that. Also, it could be an active shell. But he, I'm not an expert, so let's call them who know something usefull about it :)

[goFFer]

Well, to me it looks like an old Tank shell, because modern tank shells don't look like that. Also, it could be an active shell. But he, I'm not an expert, so let's call them who know something usefull about it :)

It's empty so I think it's not much use against mep-)

[Deatheye]

that was exactly what I wanted to hear....an empty shell, so, no danger....

[goFFer]

What dimensions is it? Yeah the stamp on the base would be useful.

the caliber is 75 mm and its around 90 cm tall

[Tribunius]

I'm thinking its a 75mm shell for an M4 Sherman thank cannon.

[MajorPayne]

http://www.inert-ord.net/usa03a/usa5/75mm/index.html

I think it is a M61 75mm round.

http://www.inert-ord.net/usa03a/usa5/75mm/2112.jpg http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/3474/imgp8888mk5.jpg

Pretty good match - no?

[Cyclonite]

Are there any other markings on the shell itself, beside the '75 POT 5'? My guess would be a HESH tank projo, but that's judging merely by the ballistic nose cap. Should this be the case, it must be reasonably old (or a bit less old, if British) as spin-stabilized tank rounds diminished soon after WW2. Oh and, probably stating the obvious here but even if the propellant has been poured out, you can't see whether the base fuze is really still there or not.

EDIT: Bleh.. MajorPayne found the perfect match. p-)

[BMF_EOD]

It's not an M61.

The photo has 2 rotating bands (brass rings used to impart spin and hold gas pressure). I would agree that its 75mm and an HE/AP round.

As an EOD tech I have a question for you. Obviously the cartridge is empty....how about the shell?

The black part is the "bullet". It has a "windshield on the front of a heavy armor piercing round. Many in this class had a base fuze and an explosive charge (see M61 for example). The brass cartridge is used only to propel the shell downrange. It looks empty from the picture but I can tell that it wasn't done to US standards. (we require 4 holes drilled in each side of cartridge and shell to certify inert).

So any how. It's in a safe condition but I cannot rule out from the pictures that the shell has no explosive. I don't have the time to look it up and give you an exact model (75mm was very popular in WWII). I would recommend calling your nearest EOD guys for a cursory X-Ray.

Can you take a photo of the sticker down near the bottom??


I should charge for this ****

[BMF_EOD]

Cyclonite-

HESH????


Nope. Windshield is key ID for AP/HE. HESH will generally have a blunt ogive.

knock yourself out

http://maic.jmu.edu/ordata/searchresults.asp?page=1

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Tony Williams is a member here at MilitaryPhotos.net and is a published author on the subject of ammunition.

His website (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/miltech.htm) is a great resource.

Ammo tables listed on his website can be found here (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ammotables.htm)

Just a quick look, but I didn't see any rounds 75mm x 900mm.

[Cyclonite]

Cyclonite-

HESH????


Nope. Windshield is key ID for AP/HE. HESH will generally have a blunt ogive.

knock yourself out

http://maic.jmu.edu/ordata/searchresults.asp?page=1
Haha, you're right man, I didn't edit and correct that mistake even after I saw the blueprints of the actual model. At the time I made the guess I was only looking at the posted picture. I should have given APHE as the other possibility though. p-)

Glad to see you around. :)

[goFFer]

It's not an M61.

The photo has 2 rotating bands (brass rings used to impart spin and hold gas pressure). I would agree that its 75mm and an HE/AP round.

As an EOD tech I have a question for you. Obviously the cartridge is empty....how about the shell?

The black part is the "bullet". It has a "windshield on the front of a heavy armor piercing round. Many in this class had a base fuze and an explosive charge (see M61 for example). The brass cartridge is used only to propel the shell downrange. It looks empty from the picture but I can tell that it wasn't done to US standards. (we require 4 holes drilled in each side of cartridge and shell to certify inert).

So any how. It's in a safe condition but I cannot rule out from the pictures that the shell has no explosive. I don't have the time to look it up and give you an exact model (75mm was very popular in WWII). I would recommend calling your nearest EOD guys for a cursory X-Ray.

Can you take a photo of the sticker down near the bottom??


I should charge for this ****

well here's the sticker, don't think it'll help
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/5773/imgp8905rr6.jpg

I'll try to get hold of someone with experience in explosives to confirm it's safe, for the time being the shell is staying in the shed:|

[Cyclonite]

I'll try to get hold of someone with experience in explosives to confirm it's safe, for the time being the shell is staying in the shed:| You could at least look inside the cartridge with a flashlight and see if you can see the base of the shell, if the fuze well is empty, it is already reasonably inert, the remaining source of risk being the possible left-overs of the main explosive filler still inside, like said X-Ray would be the safest and most reliable way to find out. I would still first just try and find the person who was originally in charge of the deactivation process to make sure.

[oldsoak]

AMX-13 75mm round ( based on WWII German kwk42 ) is my guess