50 Cal spent round

shanegalang · Jan 5, 2008

I found this 50 cal shell case on a state fair ground. Any idea why in the world would it be there

I included a pic of one I have from my Army days for comparison.

Thomas007 · Jan 5, 2008

shanegalang said:
I found this 50 cal shell case on a state fair ground. Any idea why in the world would it be there I included a pic of one I have from my Army days for comparison.

Hi Shane

Probably just as you brought home a live round with you, perhaps some guy/gal brought home an empty round to share with a younger brother/son/friend and it was lost at the fair grounds.

I have found some things like that too that defies explanations and can be looked at with only speculation.

For me it was finding an old Chinese coin while digging a foundation in undisturbed soil. There it was at about 18 inches below the ground.

There are a lot of scenarios that could explain the 50 cal shell but unless you finds some more there at the fair grounds most likely you found someone else's lost item. Finding a second or third would really change the whole thought process.

Thanks for sharing and making us think on a Sunday morning

HH

Sanat

shanegalang · Jan 5, 2008

Thanks for the reply.......I didnt say so but the one I found had been shot. I can see the "hole" on the primer. Sounds like a good theory to me tho. And I havnt ruled out that perhaps there was some type of training in that area at some time. I also noticed that the numbers on my "new" round were different than on the found one. Who knows. btw its Sat not Sunday!

Davisdog · Jan 5, 2008

Howdy,

Military rounds are generally headstamped with the year of manufacture (last two digits.) Check the date. If it is WWII era, there is a very good chance that it was fired right were you found it.

It's a cool find regardless.

Davisdog.

wwwtimmcp · Jan 5, 2008

our neighbor had a 20mm shell casing on his tractors throttle lever. his was a bringback.

shanegalang · Jan 5, 2008

Davisdog.............I cleaned it up a bit better with soap and a toothbrush (wifes not gonna like the taste) lol but I can make out what looks like "W R A" and definitly the number 43. So I guess its a 1943. So if it had in fact been fired there or near there I assume it would have been a training exercise. I need to try and research to see what went on in that area back then. I will be going back tommorow morning and searching that particular area for anything else that may give clues. All I ever find there otherwise is a bunch of clad......60s and 70s pennies and dimes mostly. My "new" 50 cal round has L C 81 which would support what your saying as far as manufactoring date. I was in the military from 84 to 88. Now I'm even more curious........Shane

Ed-NH · Jan 5, 2008

Military find, that's cool. I must wonder also how it got lost where it did. Nice find though.

shanegalang · Jan 5, 2008

Ed-NH........There is another member here that is from my area as well. She told me today that this state fair grounds has only been used as such sense probably the early 70s. I'm trying to find info. on Army training in the Baton Rouge area during the early 40 s and so far I have found some pictures of Army training dated around 1940 and 1941. I'm certainly no pro when it comes to digging up history so any help from any one would be greatly welcomed! shane

Davisdog · Jan 6, 2008

Shane,

The letters on the round(s) indicate where it was made or who made it. I believe WRA = Winchester Repeating Arms and LC = Lake City (I think that's a government arsenal.)

BTW, I also went in the military in '84 (Army.)

Davisdog.

shanegalang · Jan 6, 2008

Hey Davisdog.........always cool to talk to a fellow vet. Where were you for basic? I was at Ft. Benning Ga. E-3-1. I was 11-B. Went back this morning to the same general area but found nothing else military. I did talk to a lady out there who said she loves to research stuff and would let me know what she finds out about military and Baton Rouge ect. during that time period.

Thomas007 · Jan 6, 2008

shanegalang said:
Ed-NH........There is another member here that is from my area as well. She told me today that this state fair grounds has only been used as such sense probably the early 70s. I'm trying to find info. on Army training in the Baton Rouge area during the early 40 s and so far I have found some pictures of Army training dated around 1940 and 1941. I'm certainly no pro when it comes to digging up history so any help from any one would be greatly welcomed! shane

Hi Shane

Your were right... i was off by one day. That explains why there was no one at church yesterday. Thought maybe they moved and didn't tell me... old Dangerfield line.

It would be interesting to find out where the prior state fair grounds were located. That would put the date on all coins found there before the early 70's. That makes me excited just thinking about it.

Thanks for posting your info and hope that the lady can tell you more about the present fair location.

HH

Sanat

shanegalang · Jan 6, 2008

Well I did some more research and found out all the history of our State Fair. They started using the grounds I have been searching in 1973. This explains why I'm finding coins there from 60s thru present, well with the exception of a 1959 cent I found today, yayyyyyyy no wheat yet but the oldest penny for me

Here is part of an article about this places history.

"The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair began in 1965 when two existing Baton Rouge Jaycee Projects - a Trade Show and a Carnival - were combined. The first fair was held on the Bon Marche parking lot. From there it moved to the old Downtown Airport (now the site of Independence Park), then to the vacant land at the corner of Airline Highway and Florida Boulevard (now Cortana Mall). The current fair location, the 100-acre fairgrounds on Airline Highway, was purchased in 1972 and the first fair on the property was held in 1973. Used for one month of the year to hold the Fair, this property is now part of the 150-acre BREC Airline Highway Park/Fairgrounds."

150 acres!!! I need help pulling out all those clad coins!
Here's a pic of what I've got there so far. Cheers, Shane

Davisdog · Jan 7, 2008

Shane,

I also did basic (and my first AIT) at Ft. Benning for 11B. Honestly, it was so long ago, I can't remember the unit, but I did basic at Harmony Church, just before they gave it all to the Rangers.

I was in the reserves then, and did the split option training. I did basic the summer between my junior and senior years in high school, then came back the following summer for AIT. By that time (June of '85,) the Rangers had taken over Harmony Church, so my AIT was at Sand Hill, in the brand new barracks.