WW1 grenade fuse extraction HELP!!

s_gaitandjiev

Tenderfoot
May 11, 2017
9
12
Sofia
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Garrett ACE 250,
Garrett pro pointer AT
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Hey group. This isnt a civil war find but i didn't know where else to post it. So i found this metal detecting in Europe yesterday. Its a WW1 German eierhandgranate. The zinc fuse has broken off but part of it is still in the grenade. There might still be gunpowder in the grenade or it might be empty(i found it on an old training ground where no battles were fought with a few other grenade which were empty). So how do i remove the zinc fuse. I dont want to drill through it because it might ignite the gunpowder. Is there any good way to dissolve the already corroded zinc without ruining the iron?
IMG_2839.JPG
 

nsdq

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Oct 16, 2011
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Call local police , dangerous to handle it might be live ordance
 

Oddjob

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Aug 23, 2012
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UXO is not your friend.
 

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s_gaitandjiev

Tenderfoot
May 11, 2017
9
12
Sofia
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250,
Garrett pro pointer AT
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hey group. This isnt a civil war find but i didn't know where else to post it. So i found this metal detecting in Europe yesterday. Its a WW1 German eierhandgranate. The zinc fuse has broken off but part of it is still in the grenade. There might still be gunpowder in the grenade or it might be empty(i found it on an old training ground where no battles were fought with a few other grenade which were empty). So how do i remove the zinc fuse. I dont want to drill through it because it might ignite the gunpowder. Is there any good way to dissolve the already corroded zinc without ruining the iron?
View attachment 1658984 [/QUOTE
Yeah i know it might be live but at least its only filled with gunpowder not TNT. The fuse is gone so theres no way for it to ignite the grenade. So any ideas on how to dissolve or remove the zinc part without harming the cast iron?
 

namxat

Sr. Member
Feb 2, 2017
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Sorry Gaitandjiev,

but that is the most hairraising picture I have seen for a long time. (And the second most of all time).

The Germans did, do and will do training with live grenades. As any millitary I presume.

If you got this ....thing at home and do not want to call the police, I would propose you get the biggest bucket you can, find fill it halfway with sand put softly the grenade in, fill it up and take the bucket to the nearest body of water and submerge the whole thing in at least two meters of water.


Greets namxat
 

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s_gaitandjiev

Tenderfoot
May 11, 2017
9
12
Sofia
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250,
Garrett pro pointer AT
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Well i didnt find it in germany. Im from Bulgaria and i found it there. The germans supplied us with arms during both WW. I fount two other grenades without the detonators and both of them were empty.
 

smokeythecat

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Nov 22, 2012
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There have been articles written where American Civil War cannonballs have exploded and killed folks, and they had old fashioned black powder in them. They are also 100 years older than the piece you have. It would be extremely foolish to mess around with it. I'd turn it over to the police.

The only other thing you could do is put it in a 100' deep water well and retrieve it 100 years from now, and THEN turn it over to the police.
 

namxat

Sr. Member
Feb 2, 2017
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"I fount two other grenades without the detonators and both of them were empty."

That would have been more than enough souvenir for me. In fact, I would not have dug there any more after the first one. Perhaps I am overcautious with this stuff, but at least heard from one person that burned his shed down from a incendiary 20mm WW2. Could have been the house, too or even a multi family dwelling.

I have decided that God did good work giving me two hands with five fingers each and no alteration is needed. You are old enough, just keep the things away from other people.

Bulgaria offers absolutely mouth watering history from Bronze age, Thrakian, Dacians, Romans, Byzantine etc. I would not waste my time on WW1 rust balls if I was you :-).
 

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s_gaitandjiev

Tenderfoot
May 11, 2017
9
12
Sofia
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250,
Garrett pro pointer AT
Primary Interest:
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Yeah they are a lot of ancient artefacts but they are illegal to dig for.
 

sprailroad

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Jan 19, 2017
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Be careful NOT to become the last casualty of WW1.
 

Hawks88

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Aug 26, 2012
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It’s not something I would handle. If I ever seen that in the ground I would have just left it alone and called police.
 

sprailroad

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No Guts No Glory

True enough madman, BUT, there are times and places for it. Somehow I think that in the hobby of Metal Detecting, finding something like that, I would go to the side of good common sense, after all, I've never had a coin explode after taking it home. I'm just saying...…..
 

madmantrapper

Full Member
Sep 1, 2018
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Carroll County, Maryland
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True enough madman, BUT, there are times and places for it. Somehow I think that in the hobby of Metal Detecting, finding something like that, I would go to the side of good common sense, after all, I've never had a coin explode after taking it home. I'm just saying...…..

Yea I should have added "lol"
 

CaptnJohn

Jr. Member
Sep 4, 2018
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Well, knowing anything that goes to the police is never returned ~~~ I have an old eggbeater style drill and that is what I would try but never, not ever, suggest anyone doing what I would try. As a lowly sgt made a suggestion to a captn in Nam. He thought it ewas a good idea and thanked me for volunteering. It worked or I'd not be here now either,,,,, :icon_scratch:
 

Oddjob

Silver Member
Aug 23, 2012
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EOD my friend

Funny thing is the treaty his nation signed and pushed for close to 90 other nations to sign set up a disposal report reward. I was there when it was signed and mentored the rewarding factor, local gov kept prices just under street value.
 

namxat

Sr. Member
Feb 2, 2017
465
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You get money for reporting found uxo in Bulgaria? Or you should at least, according to some international treaty/ agreement.

And other countries, too? My country signs every **** somebody holds under his nose, as it just did prove.

Do you have a link to the .pdf of treaty? Or at least the name?


Greets Namxat
 

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