Crazy find in friends back yard! 40MM's and tons of goodies!

[toysareforboys]

Well, it's my friends birthday today. He got quite a bit of stuff, including an INSANE metal detector (full computer screen on it, lots of features, you can set detection depth, etc.), so we decided to pull it out and give it a try.
We decided to do his back yard. We followed the directions on how to do a grid sweep of the lawn.
On our third pass the metal detector went crazy. We looked at the screen and it detected "metal rebar", and upon scanning the area, it was in a cross hatch pattern.
Looking at the ground, it was just the lawn. It was weird that there would be concrete rebar under there. It told us the depth was 24" to the rebar.
Out come the shovles and after about 10 mins we hit something hard.
It turned out to be a very rough surface of concrete with rebar sticking out in some places. We dug all the way around, which turned out to be a perfect circle about 6 feet in diameter. Once we dug all the edges we attached a boat anchor to one side, and wrapped a cable around the tow hook on his 4x4 truck. It took quite a few yanks, but we flipped the concrete slab over.
Sticking out of the concrete slab was a HUGE cartridge! Must be 150MM at least! Lots of rocks, dirt, etc covering most of the bottom of the concrete.
We looked into the hole, more dirt. We jumped down, sparked up the metal detector, and it was going crazy. It couldn't identify anything in paticular, measured a depth to 6 feet (it's maximum range) of metal.
We started digging and immediatly started pulling out different cartridges, all with bullets pulled out but sitting right beside the cartridges, nothing loaded. A little further and a few layers of what looked like 40MM M203 hulls for my sweet M203. I picked up a few, took em inside, wiped off the mud, measured them and sure enuff, 40mm. SWEET!
We picked up about 200 cartridges and 40mm hulls. Underneath the hulls were rows and rows of propellers. We pulled up on one, but it was damn damn heavy. Took both of us to pull it up. It looked like a torpedo cut in half (by a big chop saw). Looking into where it had been, we could see the front half of it. The propeller would not spin. Looking in the cut end it was basically three tubes, the outer one had like a gray clay pack inbetween the outer tube and the middle tube. The middle tube was full of a white powder like surgar but bigger granuals, in what looked like little potato sacks (but white). The very inside tube was full of weird looking things (batteries I think, longer then AA, but skinnier and looked like wrapped in cardboard and vaseline. Metal hooking tabs at each end).
When we saw the batteries we stopped digging.
I begged him for me to bring home some stuff to clean and photo graph it, but he said he wanted to sell it on EBay or go to the local army surplus store and see what they'd give him for it, and he didn't trust me to take anything home. I convinced him to let me take home some of the 40MM hulls we found so I could load em up for my M203, he agreed.

So, here are the 40MM hulls. Any information you can provide would be great. Date, type, etc. There were tons more of them, some OD green, some blue, most are black or bright green.

The headstamps are as follows:
Green Anodized: XM199 EI GIE-60-10 3-68
Green Anodized: XM199 EI GIE-60-11 4-68
Green Anodized: XM199 EI GIE-60-11 4-68
Black Anodized: XM576 EI GIE-60-7 12-67

http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/thumbs/tn_P1010021.jpg
Small (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/small/P1010021.JPG)/Large (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/large/P1010021.JPG)

http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/thumbs/tn_P1010025.jpg
Small (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/small/P1010025.JPG)/Large (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/large/P1010025.JPG)

http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/thumbs/tn_P1010032.jpg
Small (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/small/P1010032.JPG)/Large (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/large/P1010032.JPG)

http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/thumbs/tn_P1010035.jpg
Small (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/small/P1010035.JPG)/Large (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/large/P1010035.JPG)

http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/thumbs/tn_P1010039.jpg
Small (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/small/P1010039.JPG)/Large (http://www.likestuff.com/guns/pictures/found40mm/large/P1010039.JPG)

So..... what should I do now? Keep digging? Pull out everything, clean it off, mark down the head stamps? Should I be worried about any possibly live munitions? It looks like this is a very deep "well", there's probably tons of stuff in there. It's basically about a 5ft metal colvert going all the way down.

I'm going back on Sunday (weather permitting) with my digital camera. Lots more pics then!

-Jamie M.

[Ichhabe]

Already after the first find you should have stopped. Isnt there an American saying that says; "Curiousity killed the cat"!?!

Unless you are trained EOD you should not stir down in that hole just cause it entertains you, just saying...

[Wilco]

Holy **** what a great find! woot

[toysareforboys]

Already after the first find you should have stopped. Isnt there an American saying that says; "Curiousity killed the cat"!?!

Unless you are trained EOD you should not stir down in that hole just cause it entertains you, just saying...
So what if I phone the police, and report it.

Do I get to keep all the unloaded goodies? I'd hate for them to take all the harmless stuff!

Sheesh.

[Ichhabe]

Already after the first find you should have stopped. Isnt there an American saying that says; "Curiousity killed the cat"!?!

Unless you are trained EOD you should not stir down in that hole just cause it entertains you, just saying...
So what if I phone the police, and report it.

Do I get to keep all the unloaded goodies? I'd hate for them to take all the harmless stuff!

Sheesh.

I would think (am not an expert on this,but...) harmless stuff is for keeps.
It seems like that the Army have dumped the stuff there and put a concrete lid over it so no-one would dig it up. But there you proved them wrong. :D

Just be careful please. For all you know, that white stuff could have been White Phosphorous. You would have looked mighty stupid running in circles while on fire cause you got that stuff on you. Call for someone who is paid to take that risk to clean it up and away.

[mr.chips]

That's actually pretty cool. Can you post a pic of the hole?

[toysareforboys]

That's actually pretty cool. Can you post a pic of the hole?
I can't get back there till Sunday. We put a tarp and plywood over it to keep the water out. I'll take lots of pics on Sunday!

So, any ideas on what the heck an XM199 40MM shell is???

[scm77]

I suggest you post this in the "weapons and ammo" section of army.ca right here (http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/04/wtiger04.xml).

There are many experienced people, Canadian Forces Ammo Techs etc. that can help you out with any questions you have about what it is and how it ended up there. :)

[Ichhabe]

That's actually pretty cool. Can you post a pic of the hole?
I can't get back there till Sunday. We put a tarp and plywood over it to keep the water out. I'll take lots of pics on Sunday!

So, any ideas on what the heck an XM199 40MM shell is???

Sounds like the test-grenades. As in XM-8, that rifle the US.Army had for testing.

[EvanL]

Its illegal not to notify the police if you find ammunition.
I suggest you notify them. If its nothing you will be allowed to keep the stuff.
But seeing as its live ammunition, you should report this.
Call the OPP.

[scm77]

Edit: nm :cantbeli:

[Auzzzie]

****, call me stupid (and you probably will), but if there was something like that in my backyard I wouldn't tell anybody about it until I had seen everything there was. The last thing I would want is some government agency cordonning the place off and removing everything without even knowing what it was. Sounds like you hit the jackpot, you lucky bastard.

[usa320]

****, call me stupid (and you probably will), but if there was something like that in my backyard I wouldn't tell anybody about it until I had seen everything there was. The last thing I would want is some government agency cordonning the place off and removing everything without even knowing what it was. Sounds like you hit the jackpot, you lucky bastard.

stupid. I rather lose some outdated relics from world war two than blow myself to hell and back.

[Auzzzie]

****, call me stupid (and you probably will), but if there was something like that in my backyard I wouldn't tell anybody about it until I had seen everything there was. The last thing I would want is some government agency cordonning the place off and removing everything without even knowing what it was. Sounds like you hit the jackpot, you lucky bastard.

stupid. I rather lose some outdated relics from world war two than blow myself to hell and back.

Shmeh, I have a huge sense of adventure. If there is anything unusual, I will go for it, even if it dangerous. After all, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and then I would wish I had taken risks. :P

[EvanL]

****, call me stupid (and you probably will), but if there was something like that in my backyard I wouldn't tell anybody about it until I had seen everything there was. The last thing I would want is some government agency cordonning the place off and removing everything without even knowing what it was. Sounds like you hit the jackpot, you lucky bastard.

stupid. I rather lose some outdated relics from world war two than blow myself to hell and back.

Shmeh, I have a huge sense of adventure. If there is anything unusual, I will go for it, even if it dangerous. After all, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and then I would wish I had taken risks. :P
well in Ontario its illegal not to report it.
Especially since hes living in Toronto. The 4th largest city in North America.
Isnt this the same guy that fired firecrackers out of a grenade launcher with andyman and filmed it?
I wouldnt want this guy havign access to any type of explosives.

[toysareforboys]

stupid. I rather lose some outdated relics from world war two than blow myself to hell and back.
Yeah... but if it all went off at once, imagine the boom. woot

lol... just jokin. :bash:

[scm77]

On the army.ca thread you said your friend lived in Pickering. If the Durham Police bomb squad comes to take some (or all) the stuff, make sure to take pics and post them here. :D

Seen there SWAT team (or what ever they call it) but never seen their bombsquad (I'm from Ajax). ;)

[toysareforboys]

Ajax... just around the corner!

[ckabusk]

Now, try buy pig, not farm one, pet one in small dog sized. It could find a remain body of secret agency that has more goodie around his corpse!

[Uncle Sam]

Call EOD and don't blow yourself up!

[Malarky]

All I have to say is...."This guy wins the Darwin award! Congrats to the idiot who decides its okay to play with HIGH EXPLOSIVES with absolutely NO TRAINING!!!"

:cantbeli: :cantbeli: :cantbeli: :cantbeli:

[USMA_SCUBA]

Like ichabe said, i wouldn't be poking around in there with just a shovel and a metal detector. I'm not quite sure why you'd have spent ammo out in some one's yard, but let a trained professional with the proper equipment. It might seem cool to find some relics for your collection, but are they really worth blowing one of your arms off or losing your sight over?

[obd]

You lucky todays headline didnt read "Two Morons with thier new Metal Detector Blow Themselves Up After jumping into Hole with UXO"


First thing your should have done when you saw the "huge round" was step slowely back and call the police/bomb squad to clear the ****..........after all no telling what else could have been under there.......you coulda blown your whole house sky high.

Here is what you should do with your new metal detector: Go to beach and get all the lost wrings, coins, watches, bracelets, etc..........

[obd]

Oh and if your happen upon some more UXO at the beach.........please at least warn the children around you BEFORE you go at with a shovel!!!!

<-------thinking to self "They used a freakin shovel of all things to dig up UXO!! What were they thinking????"

[Milkman]

<-------thinking to self "They used a freakin shovel of all things to dig up UXO!! What were they thinking????"

Yeah, they really should have used a jackhammer, it would have been alot faster... ;)

[Group9]

Please tell me you don't have any neighbors so that when you finally do manage to get the detonation you are looking for, no one else is killed.

[Petter]

Actually almost the same thing happened to me a month ago.
I was helping my dad tear down a house, it was a small, old wooden building so we took it down by hand. Inside the building we found:
12 storage tubes for mortar rounds
8 dynamite sticks :|
9mm ammo
5.56 ammo
12 gauge
Powder charges

This was 15 yards from an elementary school and they were going to use the cleared site for a kindergarten.
I hope the freakin nut that lived ther before didn't bury and landmines.

[Frost]

The XM199 is a 40mm AP round
The XM576 is a 40mm multi-purpose (buckshot) round

The XM576 is probably the pre-production version of the normal M576;
M576 - Multipurpose: A moderately common round with multiple potential uses, the M576 is a buckshot-loaded grenade. This makes it the equivalent of a sawn-off 40mm shotgun -- wide spread, high penetration (for buckshot) and thus a very high damage capacity -- at short range. The multipurpose round is not a typical "explosive" grenade -- it is, for all intents and purposes, a really big shotgun shell.

The XM199 can only be found in army papers and is not mentioned anywhere on the web outside mil sites. It's most likely a prototype round that never went into full-scale pruduction and was replaced by HEAP rounds that did make it into full-scale production.

The rounds you show are however already fired, so they prove absolutely no risk to you.


HOWEVER:
the 'propellers' you mention don't sound like something completely harmless. It could be nothing, but it could also be dangerous. I suggest you report this to the local police asap.

[martinexsquaddie]

military junk can kill
phone bomb disposal its not worth dieing for a few cartridge cases :roll:

[ValkXB70]

Ok, my advice get on your knee's and pray to whatever god you belive in for keeping your ass from going boom. Second thing to do is call the police, and have an EOD team come out and verify everything is safe. Third take lots of pictures and post them here.

Also on a side note Now, try buy pig, not farm one, pet one in small dog sized. It could find a remain body of secret agency that has more goodie around his corpse! WTF???

[medic99]

Very adventurous of you to explore your backyard. Great Find! However, be careful and dont blow yourself up. But for my humor could you videotape you next outing. Would pay lots to see that video.

[Holmer]

I don't want to come off as an a$$hole my first post, but this is clearly Bovine Scathology.

Gents, read his post clearly as most of it does not make sense. Torpedos covered in dirt 6 ft under, but he finds white powder and vaseline?? I can't wait to see the other pics. All of this found in Toronto? Highly doubt it

Also, I watched your video of you firing firewrks out of your M203 attached to a ArmaLite AR15 M15A4 CB 11.5" assault rifle. Completely illegal if it is fact a "real" M15A4. You can not take restricted firearms out in your backyard. More likely a airsoft.

Regards,

B. Holmes

[PhillyMobster]

If he's just screwing with us, fine, but if he isn't, don't say I didn't warn you. There are people I know who have been shot stone dead by an unsafe weapon. God knows what a 40MM would do. Every few months, we hear another story about some naive children in Europe who dig up unexploded handgrenades and arty shells from the wars, and then try to take them apart. Just because they're old and buried doesn't mean that they still can't bake your rear end.

Now, on a side note... I'd dig the stuff up too, make lots of home made bombs, go off to a secluded area for the day and do nothing but blow it all up. Man that would be fun!

[Holmer]

Well I wonder what happened to all those pics he was going to post about this wonderful hole full of goodies?? :roll: