Is this a bullet, artillery shell?????

That's the biggest plumb bob I've ever seen!

Srsly, if it was an artillery shell wouldn't its sides be parallel, and wouldn't it have some soft metal (brass) driving bands?

It's not an actual artillery round. It may be a display piece but it's not a live shell

Col. Harrumph said:

That's the biggest plumb bob I've ever seen!

Srsly, if it was an artillery shell wouldn't its sides be parallel, and wouldn't it have some soft metal (brass) driving bands?

Click to expand...

It's called an Obturating Band

80mm bullet ?

I want one...

Trunk Monkey said:

It's called an Obturating Band

Click to expand...

Obturating Band(Ring) = Driving Band

Interchangeable, equivalent terms.

The hollow base would probably obturate. I think the photo makes it appear as though it is not a parallel bearing surface. Very cool find.

Before they took our rails out and turned them into a linear state park, the only things I ever found were coal slag, spikes that came loose and a wrench.

red-demon652 said:

Ok this was found on the railroad track many years ago by my father in-law. He was a trackman. Boy I think this will be a good one to really rattle some minds. I know what it looks like, but I have a feeling it's not a bullet.View attachment 759617 View attachment 759618

Click to expand...

Hmmmmm...won't have bands if its a sub-caliber core to a discarding sabot round, maybe a US 90mm circa 1950 (M26-M48 tanks) or a Russian 100mm (T55). Any APDS rounds newer than that would be long-rods rather than capped conventional shot like that. The diameter is smaller cuz the Sabot has already fallen off. Best guess....lol

I'm no expert, but for those who are, why do you not think there is a possibility that it could be a live round. Not saying it is, I have no clue. But I'd not want it around until I were 100% sure.

I grew up on a farm in Iowa and we bought and sold grain at a local grain company. I remember in the office they had a small artillery shell that was used as a paper weight, door stop and a conversation piece. No one knew where it came from or who initially brought it into the office. It was knocked around, handled and dropped numerous times over the years it was there. A number of years later a guy was visiting family in the area and he went with his family member to that grain company where he saw the artillery shell. He immediately called the authorities and had a bomb squad come to take possession of the shell. Turns out the shell was a 76mm American artillery shell. The guy was EOD in the military and recognized it right away and that it was still a live round. All it needed to detonate was to hit the ground just right but in all those years that never happened. Talk about luck.

jmr40 said:

I'm no expert, but for those who are, why do you not think there is a possibility that it could be a live round. Not saying it is, I have no clue. But I'd not want it around until I were 100% sure.

Click to expand...

Hard to tell if that slight bulge near the nose is a fuse\detonator, built up corrosion, or the remains of a penetrator cap.....if its a APDS core, its harmless,but.......

The reason old live rounds are dangerous is they become more sensitive as they are exposed to weather over long periods of time. It would be safest to have it examined
by a local bomb squad or Ordnance Disposal unit. Not only is it a free service, they
will probably have some information for you about the type and origin of that round.

If it's inert, it would be a cool doorstop.

Perhaps you could post a closer image of the base w/o the measuring tape. There appear to be a couple of markings in the two recessed areas but I can't make out what they are. And perhaps a close up of the pointed end from say, the 6" level to the tip.

I don't know what it is either, but to throw one possibly silly idea out there, I think it could be a locating pin of some sort, perhaps for vertically stacking heavy objects. The bottom few inches would be dropped into a mating hole in one of the objects and the top object lowered onto the tip. Just a thought...

Don't think my RockChucker will hold the die for that round.

Anyone else see the M and K on the bottom of the________?

climbnjump said:

The bottom few inches would be dropped into a mating hole in one of the objects and the top object lowered onto the tip.

Click to expand...

I have used the same thing when working with the crane operator on some buildings. If the area was very tight there was a trial run with a weight, taking a route that was the furthest and safest as possible. He would then look at some gauges or such in the crane. I wanted to but never got to see inside the crane. This one had a ring to attach to and looked very close to the picture. Mabey longer though.

Then my team and I opened up the roof, and kept watch for safety.(Hot Roof!) After an hour or so, the mechanics and ground personnel were done and we all started lifting a sixteen thousand pound flywheel from the front of an engine. It was being sent out to be rebalanced. The crank needed repair as well, but wouldn't be ready for removal for three months. This was one of nine or so that pump natural gas to Detroit.

The best (worst) part was seeing the deer. No rifles or bows within miles and the deer seemed to know it. It was a four hundred yard trek to a gate in the fence that another fellow and I had to go through before he could remove the lighter and smokes from the tool box he left out there for them. I went to admire the eight point buck, that didn't even care that we were headed his way. We were laughing and talking, he was eating. I think he finally strolled off just to get some quiet!

BigBore44 said:

Anyone else see the M and K on the bottom of the________?

Click to expand...

Yeah, I saw the markings, but wasn't sure they were M & K which is why I asked for a closer image. But if they are M&K, then we have two railroad equipment possibilities.

There was a Morrison Knudsen company that was a re-builder of diesel locomotives that went bankrupt in about 1993. But they did make steel parts for the railroad industry and their initials were M&K.

Then we have a current company called "MK Rail and Transit". They are a consulting company specializing in railway engineering.

There was/is also a Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad company, but in that case, we are missing a T.

So I think whatever it is, I'm willing to bet that the object is a railroad "tool" of some sort and not a projectile.

BigBore44 wrote:
Don't think my RockChucker will hold the die for that round.

Click to expand...

Yeah, you're probably right, even the RockChucker has its limits.

M and K?

Rotate the picture and now it looks like a Sigma and a Mu. Maybe better picture would help.

Several years ago, a man walked into the police department in a small town in rural southwestern Georgia, announced his name was General Ulysses Grant and he had something in his car that he thought they needed to see. You can imagine the reaction he got. But, after verifying the man was sane and that his driver's license did indeed show his given name was "General", his middle name "Ulysses" and his family name "Grant", they walked out to see that in the trunk of his car he had a 19th Century shell that from the description in the wire-service report was similar to this one.

I would call the local police and let them have a look at it.

I would not bring it to their door (particularly if your first name is "General"), but let them come to you.

If it is old ordnance, it needs to be disposed of properly. If not, you'll probably have a pleasant conversation with the officers who respond.

It's a great start on making a Foucault's Pendulum!

GBExpat said:

Obturating Band(Ring) = Driving Band

Interchangeable, equivalent terms.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry exactly when did you actually do this for a living? In the 15 years I spent manning every artillery piece in the United States Army's inventory I never heard an obturating band referred to as a "driving band". Never read it in a -10. Never saw the term used in the 650.