Advice on how to display spent ammo

[Hacker15E]

THRers -

This summer I was deployed to Afghanistan, and had the opportunity to strafe Al Qaeda and Taliban troops who were engaged against friendly forces. It was a very memorable experience, as one of the most satisfying experiences I've had in my life (being able to make a difference helping friendly troops in trouble). I strafed numerous other times during the deployment, and there were other times that were higher stress, or more exciting, but this was my 'first combat strafe.'

I was able to save 6 or 7 of the 20mm casings of the 200 or so I shot on the strafe pass, and I'd like to mount them on a plaque or something to commemorate the event.

I was hoping that some of you might have experience with mounting spent casings or have some ideas about how they might be displayed.

 

[CrawdaddyJim]

Did you have a static as in immobile mount or a mount that the casings could be taken out of?

 

[WaltonS]

Frame 'em. Make one if you must. Get a nice felt backing, maybe navy blue, or green.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

1) With a photo of your aircraft on a plaque (maybe just one 20mm casing underneath) that provides a small engraved plate that explains the history.

2) "rebuilt' with a dummy cartridge as bookends or displayed on a book shelf as a stand-alone object.

3) One or two engraved directly into the metal with the dates and locations, etc. in a nice script--a paper weight or decorative object.

4) Polish up two and make a salt shaker and pepper mill set (like 'trench art').

If you do nothing with them, at least stick a scrap of paper in each explaining the history so in fifty years the history won't be lost.

 

[Hacker15E]

Thanks for the advice, all! Great ideas. I love the salt/pepper idea, but not sure how I'd make that work -- I suppose by making a wood or plastic dummy bullet and drill shaker holes.