Civil War CANNONBALL question

[baldybob]

I dug up this 6# Borman cannonball years ago, but it is still live.... Isn't there some risk in just leaving it as is? Who to contact about disarming this civil war relic? The James shell in foreground has been disarmed.
Thanx, Bob in Arkansas

 

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[incajoe]

It's not really a danger as it sits. There has been no spontaneous explosions caused by old civil war cannonballs just sitting around. People have dropped them and hit them with hammers and nothing happens. Just don't put it in the fireplace or decide to drill a hole in it to defuse it and you'll be fine.

If you'd like to get it disarmed go here and ask the same question. These guys are the experts.
http://cwpforums.com/forum/

 

[BuckleBoy]

It's not really a danger as it sits. There has been no spontaneous explosions caused by old civil war cannonballs just sitting around. People have dropped them and hit them with hammers and nothing happens. Just don't put it in the fireplace or decide to drill a hole in it to defuse it and you'll be fine.

If you'd like to get it disarmed go here and ask the same question. These guys are the experts.
http://cwpforums.com/forum/

Agreed.

 

[Boilermaker27]

I kind of disagree.

These projectiles are tough and can stand a lot of handling. However, you never know that where you have it stored could not possibly catch fire and then cause the shell to explode. If that were to happen and someone were to get killed or injured you would be in deep trouble. Best to keep outdoors somewhere.

Be careful of who you show this to and tell. These things are no laughing matter to law enforcement. If they were to find out you had that shell you can bet you would get a visit by the local bomb squad and they would take it and others you may have and explode the whole bunch, and you could also possible be prosecuted for having a bomb, and that is no joke. ATF can do anything they want.

I also have an unexploded cannonball. I have already defuzed two safely. I keep the current cannonball in a bucket of water. I have removed the borman fuze which is made of zinc and comes out usually in pieces. I have also used a toothpick and cleaned out the hole in the brass plug so water has gotten to the powder. I did this after the death last summer and sever injuries to another (expert) the year before when they were defuzing projectiles. I didn't realize that once powder dries out it is as dangerous as before.

I found a kind of squashed .54 minnie still in its brass cartridge. The cartridge was split and underground, and also it was in a dried up man made lake bed, anyway, I emptied some of the contents of the cartridge and hit it with a match and there were still some sparkles. Not like good powder, but nevertheless, there were still some remnants. I have read that black powder tends to worsen over the years, and by worsen I mean get more and more dangerous.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I kind of disagree.

These projectiles are tough and can stand a lot of handling. However, you never know that where you have it stored could not possibly catch fire and then cause the shell to explode. If that were to happen and someone were to get killed or injured you would be in deep trouble. Best to keep outdoors somewhere.

Be careful of who you show this to and tell. These things are no laughing matter to law enforcement. If they were to find out you had that shell you can bet you would get a visit by the local bomb squad and they would take it and others you may have and explode the whole bunch, and you could also possible be prosecuted for having a bomb, and that is no joke. ATF can do anything they want.

I also have an unexploded cannonball. I have already defuzed two safely. I keep the current cannonball in a bucket of water. I have removed the borman fuze which is made of zinc and comes out usually in pieces. I have also used a toothpick and cleaned out the hole in the brass plug so water has gotten to the powder. I did this after the death last summer and sever injuries to another (expert) the year before when they were defuzing projectiles. I didn't realize that once powder dries out it is as dangerous as before.

I found a kind of squashed .54 minnie still in its brass cartridge. The cartridge was split and underground, and also it was in a dried up man made lake bed, anyway, I emptied some of the contents of the cartridge and hit it with a match and there were still some sparkles. Not like good powder, but nevertheless, there were still some remnants. I have read that black powder tends to worsen over the years, and by worsen I mean get more and more dangerous.

You should read the article in North South Trader on shells--it isn't the gunpowder that makes them dangerous, it's the gasses created by water combining with the gunpowder in a rust-sealed environment. The chemical reactions are listed in the issue--if you're interested I can look through my old copies and find the specific one. This is why shells frequently "burp" when being defused. And if you have an unexploded shell, keep it in a cool place.

But it should be for the most part inert. Don't store it by your fireplace, don't tell law enforcement you have it, and keep in mind you're in deep if your Christmas Tree catches your house on fire with that shell in there!

Then get it defused as soon as possible by an professional.


Regards,



Buckles

 

[truckinbutch]

Saturation with WD-40 will tame black powder.Still will not prevent catastrophic detonation if subjected to extreme heat,house fire.

 

[baldybob]

Thanks for the information guys. I feel a little better now that ball has been removed from fireplace hearth
My dad and I found this almost 40 years ago (I think) 'course, he used the detector...I was the shovel man, so he was in a lot less danger!?
Bob in Arkansas

 

[BuckleBoy]

Bob, you had this thing on your Fireplace?

 

[MalteseFalcon]

Wow. Glad Bob is still around to post here!

 

[jpitt1970]

I've got a live borman too...the face was not punched all the way through before it was fired, so I used a small nail to punch through it & soaked it in water for a few weeks to get the powder wet....I've had this cannonball for close to 20 years...........I'd also like to see some closeups of the projectiles on the mantle you've got there!!