live round

[felixthecat]

Yesterday poped out whilst suffering from tonsilitis and picked up a nice tone, put my spade through a shell which then leaked some black gunpowder.Previously intact the shell is about 8-10 inches long with DM 4 printed on the end near the cap. The Ignition cap was intact and I'm gussing its 2ww from an aircraft, seems too big for a rifle. Will post photos whe i get the chance. Does this happen often ? only that with the other recet thread, and if my spade had been nearer the cap end.... is this why we have insurance joiing the MCMD?.

[rustynail]

Precisely, Felix, you knocked it right on the head. These live rounds give me the creeps just thinking about them. Does yours look like any of these?

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/tankammo.html

[bazda]

blimey you have been busy..........please tell me none of those are live..............i think my other half would have heart failure if i had all those in the house

[felixthecat]

looks like second shelf from the top on the left but will post pic soon

[Goodluck247]

I may be bringing up a old post but is there still any chance of some pics?

[Normanrelic]

It sounds like you found a .50cal browning machine gun round. The letters on the base are manufacturer's marks. if you google them, you might find where it was made in the U.S.
The 4 probably indicates 1944, the year of manufacture. Some manufacturers printed two digits for the date,
The 50 cal was used (and still is) on aircraft, tanks, jeeps, etc as the preferred heavy MG

looks like second shelf from the top on the left but will post pic soon

.

[felixthecat]

[Chopper]

Sounds very much like a .50cal round.... an American one at that!

DM is the Des Moines Ordnance Plant, Iowa, USA

[merkle]

definately 0.50 cal, used profusely in WW2 in aircraft... the ones which are dangerous, or much more dangerous are the british 20mm cannon shell, if you find one with a brass tip, bury it where you find it, as those are the explosive head type, and also with 303" if you find a bullet head with a screw in the base, bury that where you found it, as that is a phossy shell, and also potencail to cause harm.

investigating aviation incidents over the years has taught me a few things about Ordnance .

as for anything else, ie roman coins etc, ive not got a clue what i am looking at.