old artillery shell pic... ??

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chute2thrill

chute2thrill

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i have an old artillery shell that i can't seem to find an exact match on google or anything.. i'm really interested to see what year or war it may be from... and i'm somewhat concerned that the fuse may still be live ... the top (which i think is the fuse) screws off and the inside is hollow now.. i assume it was once filled with some kind of gunpowder... it only has 1 marking that says Y.A. i have no idea what that means... it also has a copper band similar to the belt on a magnum round... i would've loved to put a picture on here and i'll keep trying but thr is messin up everytime i try to upload... thanks in advance for any info at all
 
The copper band on it is the driving band. It helps the shell engage the rifling on the barrel it being fired out of.


Too bad that doesn't help with identification as driving bands have been ubiquitous on arty shells for about 100 years.

Pics would definitely help.
 
If the "band" is on the case, rather than the projectile, this could also be a 20mm Lahti round, but we'd really need pictures (or at least measurements) to be able to tell.
 
Yeah, and quit playing with the thing that unscrews.

And don't call the local cops or army EOD folks unless you _really_ wanna be on TV... Now get us a picture, and we'll tell you whether or not you get to be on TV...
 
well i finally have some pictures of this shell.. they're kinda bad cause i had to use my cell phone to take them.. thanks again..
 

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sorry i was misinformed about it being a live round.. thank God... i have a neat little paperweight..
 
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Where/how did you get it? Might have a lot to do with how you're going to get rid of it.
 
Get it out of the house now.

How did you come by it?

Here in Europe live shells from WWII and WWI do turn up regularly and are typically disposed off by the bomb disposal guys. They generally blow it up.
 
That is probably a 20mm or 25mm heat round with no high explosive in it. You proved it by opening it and showing it to this thread. Most likely that thing is as lame as a dead duck. I have one of those but my base is hollow for tracer.
That type of round works by striking a a fairly hard target and the reaction is an explosive one. If it was Armor piercing I would probably doubt it if you could open it.
I am not an expert and didn't go to months long school in the Army for the stuff but I sincerely doubt you could even get it to blow up if your life depended on it. there is nothing in it. Like I said if there were it would take that round striking a target.
 
It's a typical 20mm shell (now empty), as used in various gun systems from WW2, like the Oerlikons they used for anti-aircraft defence or on the later Spitfires and Typhoons. The complete live round would be about 8 inches long, but you have only the "bullet" part of the round. There should be some markings or stamps either on the body of the shell or on the driving band that may let us know who made it, or what it was originally loaded for.
 
the case does have Y.A. stamped on the side but other than that theres no markings.. my grandfather gave it to me when i was little
 
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