Unexploded Civil War shell found at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

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Surfs Up!
Old friend in another state lived near a WWII training base. When he retired from State Police he got into metal detecting. The Ord. he found was unbelievable, most solid AP projectiles but quite a few 105-8" as well as many MKIIs frags. He would carefully remove fuse of 75mm and up, throw them in river then boil out TNT as it melts at about 180 degrees.
Sadly he passed from cancer then his wife about 2 years later. He must of had Several Tons of AP projectiles stacked beside his shop. We all told his brother to sell as its almost tool steel. Being a DA his brother just had it hauled off to dump. BTW, a WWII 105 " clean" projectile goes for several $100, 155s much more.
 
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SMSgt said:
One of the best Brit series I've seen.

I live near the WWII UDT training site in Florida, and it's not uncommon for developers to dig up unexploded bombs or to find them in the shoreline. AF EOD is quick to remove them.
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Ft.Pierce or Port St.Lucie?
 
Greyman50 said:
Surfs Up!
Old friend in another state lived near a WWII training base. When he retired from State Police he got into metal detecting. The Ord. he found was unbelievable, most solid AP projectiles but quite a few 105-8" as well as many MKIIs frags. He would carefully remove fuse of 75mm and up, throw them in river then boil out TNT as it melts at about 180 degrees.
Sadly he passed from cancer then his wife about 2 years later. He must of had Several Tons of AP projectiles stacked beside his shop. We all told his brother to sell as its almost tool steel. Being a DA his brother just had it hauled off to dump. BTW, a WWII 105 " clean" projectile goes for several $100, 155s much more.
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We had a Naval Aviation Training Station here during WW II. Lots of small arms ammo was buried at what was their pistol range. We kids had a good time searching for treasures in "Bullet Hill". The Dodgers bought part of the base and turned it into "Dodgertown". Eventually the old pistol range became a parking lot......Progress!
 
Area in and around the WWII base in another state I mentioned is being sold to developers. My now deceased buddy and another friend used to get calls from these developers as " word got out" they would remove just about any UXO. Reason they got so much. Heard many stories of how the backhoe operators looked when they picked up a 105 or 155 and put in their truck. Every projectile was wet from being in the ground, little Kroil and fuse wrench, fuse out and into river. They had a low country boil cooking pot with 2 pieces of 3/8" x 11/2" flat bar with radius in both pieces that clamped to projectile , suspending it in water. Heated until water boiled and they heard the shot falling out of suspension in TNT. Did I mention TNT will light wet wood for a fire pit party? LOL.
 
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Greyman50 said:
Area in and around the WWII base in another state I mentioned is being sold to developers. My now deceased buddy and another friend used to get calls from these developers as " word got out" they would remove just about any UXO. Reason they got so much. Heard many stories of how the backhoe operators looked when they picked up a 105 or 155 and put in their truck. Every projectile was wet from being in the ground, little Kroil and fuse wrench, fuse out and into river. They had a low country boil cooking pot with 2 pieces of 3/8" x 11/2" flat bar with radius in both pieces that clamped to projectile , suspending it in water. Heated until water boiled and they heard the shot falling out of suspension in TNT. Did I mention TNT will light wet wood for a fire pit party? LOL.
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Have seen C-Rats cooked with a pinch of C-4. Stuff burns like Sterno.
 
Greyman50 said:
... Did I mention TNT will light wet wood for a fire pit party? LOL.
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This reminded me of the famous story of Purdue computer science professor George Goble who decided to try lighing his grill with.... liquid oxygen :eek:
"In 1995 George Goble experimented at Purdue university trying to find the fastest way to light a BBQ. This video shows the fastest way, pouring 3 gallons of liquid oxygen over a grill with 60 pounds of coal and a lighted cigarette. In the second part of the video this method is used on a 2.88$ discount grill. Most of it vaporizes(!) in the process. "​
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sab2Ltm1WcM[/ame]

He got the 1996 IgNobel prize for this :D
 
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Years ago I climbed to the top of Kennesaw Mountain. At the top was a newly-placed radio/TV antenna. The concrete at its base was not yet dry. I scrawled "1864" in it.

Betcha that's confused some folks since then.

The fact that I can say "I was there" should not be interpreted to mean I was there during the Civil War. :D

John
 
oldbrownhat said:
This reminded me of the famous story of Purdue computer science professor George Goble who decided to try lighing his grill with.... liquid oxygen :eek:
"In 1995 George Goble experimented at Purdue university trying to find the fastest way to light a BBQ. This video shows the fastest way, pouring 3 gallons of liquid oxygen over a grill with 60 pounds of coal and a lighted cigarette. In the second part of the video this method is used on a 2.88$ discount grill. Most of it vaporizes(!) in the process. "​
Lightning a BBQ with liquid oxygen - YouTube

He got the 1996 IgNobel prize for this :D
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We used Liquid Oxygen in our aircraft for the aircrews to breath. LOX is not to be taken lightly. Will freeze anything instantly. In Da Nang when the guys in the LOX plant were bored, they would catch a rat. The the rat was dipped into a bucket full of LOX. He was frozen instantly, sometimes they would throw them out onto the concrete and watch the rat break like a glass bottle. Just something to do when you are bored.....
 
Chubbo said:
A friend in Southern Ohio, had a civil war musket hanging on the mantle of his, Man-Cave/ den, in the basement, of his mansion. It had been there for many years, when someone asked if it had been checked, for being loaded. When checked, it was found to be still loaded, but he left it, hanging in that condition, for many more years, until his death. His comment was; no one was allowed, or, need to be in his den, unaccompanied by him. We eventually lost contact, and never heard what happened to that potentially dangerous, loaded musket after his death.

Chubbo
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Those that collect any muzzleloading rifles usually remove the ramrod, stick it down the barrel to check if loaded . Also we all carried the very small single AAAA cell lights that could be dropped down barrel of muskets to check ID of barrel. Those were the days.
 
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