Can you Identify?

[nicksiq]

Found in Oklahoma about a foot into the ground near a creek. Does anyone know what this is? How old it might be?

 

[Zephyr]

Looks like a 20mm cannon round (or maybe 40mm. Kind of hard to tell from the photo.)

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Looks like a 2 lb (1.65") or maybe 43mm (3 Llb) Hotchkiss projectile.

http://www.iwchildren.org/hotchks.htm

http://www.sarcoinc.com/chollystoy.html

Check figure 17 on the following site:

http://cartridgecollectors.org/introtoartyammo/introtoarty.htm

Based on the cent in your image I'm going with the 3" mountain gun.

http://www.spanamwar.com/hotchkis.htm

Yours is a rear-primed high explosive and, possibly, still "live".

 

[nicksiq]

It weighs 13.6 pounds. It is 10 inches tall.

Now you have me a little scared. What should I do with it?

What year do you think this was from? Is it a good find?

Thanks

 

[Ken from Atlanta]

Nice find, as to what to do with it, I'd just leave it alone and not mess with it. It could be live, or it could be a practice shell with no explosive in it at all. There are people who dis-arm these things, and that would be the way to go if you want to keep it, and make sure it's perfectly safe. If you never want to see it again, take it to the local police.

 

[BuckleBoy]

If this IS a Hotchkiss, it is one HECK of a find!  Don't be scared about it still being "live."  Just don't try to defuse it or drill it and you'll be o.k.  Keep it in a cool place away from heat.  There are people who will "unload" shells like these for a relatively nominal fee (considering the amount of danger).  If Charlie P.'s ID of the item is correct, then it could date to the late 1800's.  The example in the following link is a solid shot with the lead band sabot:

http://www.civilwarartillery.com/

(Go to "field projectiles" and "rifled projectiles" on the left side of the page.  Then click on "Hotchkiss" and click on the fourth shell down.)


Regards,


Buckleboy  

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Whoa! 13 lbs is MUCH bigger than I was guessing it to be. Can you get the diameter of it at the rifling band? You're up in the 80 mm range.

If the hole in the base is open (that is, you can stick a pencil or twig in more than an inch) it's probably deader'n a doornail. Dripping some oil or WD-40 in will guarantee it. If it isn't clear it may still have primer and the main charge. 95% chance it's dead. 5% chance they'll see you orbiting on some future shuttle mission.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

3 inch Hotchkiss did in fact weigh in at 12 lbs! If yours sucked up some moisture into the charge you're bang on (so to speak).

Weight of cartridge-case, empty: 1.25 pounds
Weight of charge: 14 ounces
Weight of projectile: 12 pounds
Total weight of cartridge: 14 pounds
Total length of complete cartridge: 14.1 inches
Bursting-charge, common shell: 6.3 ounces
Bursting charge, shrapnel: 1 3/4 ounces
Effective number of balls in shrapnel: 160
Effective fragments, shrapnel:: 180
Number of balls in canister:: 125

I'm sticking with a 3" Hotchkiss Mountain Gun (as the picture above). Spanish-American War era (1890's to 1900).

Nice find!

 

[BuckleBoy]

I think you're right, Charlie P.

 

[nicksiq]

The diameter at the base is 9.5 inches. The hole in the base is open about a quarter of an inch.


Thanks

 

[BuckleBoy]

How far can you see into the cavity in the shell? Is the hole in the base rusted closed at any point?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Amazing find.

 

[nicksiq]

Here is a picture of the base. We can see some letters on the bottom. I think we see a 3 and J.

 

[nicksiq]

The material in the base is gray in color.

 

[Ken from Atlanta]

I've got a WW2 37mm projectile that I found in a back yard in Ohio. It also has gray stuff in the bottom, I think it's just some sort of filler, because when we scraped some off and put a torch to it it didn't ignite or burn. I cleaned mine up an repainted it and it looks pretty good on the bookshelf. Yours might be a bit heavy for a bookend though

 

[mike63]

fantastic find !!!!!! hope it's not still dangerous?

 

[SgtSki in MI]

I was thinking 37mm Antitank Projectile too. How close are you fo Ft Sill?

-SgtSki

 

[RevJoel]

Is that 9.5" the distance around the shell or across the shell? If across, then you have a 3" or 77mm artillery shell. A 37mm shell would have a diameter of 1.45".

 

[nicksiq]

It is 9.5 around the shell. We found this in Edmond, Oklahoma. Ft. Sill is about 2 hours from where we found it.
I'm still confused about what War it was used in.

 

[RevJoel]

Just from a quick and dirty research try, I believe that what you have is a 75mm Armor Piercing tank projectile. If indeed that is what it turns out to be, then it would have been fired from the US M3 Grant/Lee or the M4 Sherman tanks. WW II most likely.