My first large caliber

[mumszie]

I know lots of guys have picked these up before but this is my first one. My total for the day is unimpressive. 1 penny, 1 dime, 2 pieces of metal (both look like copper) & this large caliber casing. I am not sure what else to call it because I don't think it is a bullet but just the casing of a bullet. Oh well.... I'll take it. Maybe tomorrow....

 

[JP]

That looks like a 50 cal. I could be wrong. If it's about 5 inches long than yes.

Cool finds like always.

Found at one of the gulf side beaches?

Theres always something interesting to be found on a hunt.

JP

 

[mumszie]

Yeah gulf beach a little south of CWB. 50 cal - yes or so my husband tells me.

 

[goldencoin]

the two other chunks look like bullet cases thrown in a fire

HH
-GC

 

[Narthoniel]

Sweet shell!

 

[thorny196]

If you can get enough .50 cal casings the are brass and over 1.00 a pound scrap. Keep em in the garage they are heavy and probably only takes 4 or 5 to make a pound. Usually when the Navy/Marine Corp shoots em they shoot a s**t load of em!!!!

 

[mumszie]

Funny you should say that goldencoin because that is what my husband said too.

thorny196 - I save anything that could be sold later. Except I do not bring home the cans but if I find copper, brass etc.... I save it all. I will sell it when I get enough. LOL

 

[JP]

I took 50 pounds of used brass casings to 2 different scrap yards. None of them would take them. They said that they couldn't guarantee that they had been fired. I told the guy I could because I had fired all of them. I even showed him that all had the used primers removed and everything. I ended up just giving them away to a friend that reloads.

I'm sure that there are places that will take them.

Lead is a different story. They gave me a complete $1 bill for 5 pounds of lead. I spent over $15 in gas to get to the places. I can see I really came out ahead. It would have been cheaper to have just kept the lead and thrown the other stuff in the garbage. LIVE AND LEARN

 

[txkickergirl]

wow mumzie that is so funny you found one today. I found one today also and was thinking what the heck. How did it get out here. I will post mine with pics later. I just got back in and am exhausted.

 

[ivan salis]

ww2 airforce and navy planes -- beach strafing practice 1942 thru 1944 in florida and along the east coast bases too -- it was prep for the pacific beach landings* quite common to find 50 cal machine gun casings and lead from that --some times 30 cal also but not as comman. --- Ivan

 

[recoiljunky]

I took 50 pounds of used brass casings to 2 different scrap yards. None of them would take them. They said that they couldn't guarantee that they had been fired. I told the guy I could because I had fired all of them. I even showed him that all had the used primers removed and everything. I ended up just giving them away to a friend that reloads.

I'm sure that there are places that will take them.

Lead is a different story. They gave me a complete $1 bill for 5 pounds of lead. I spent over $15 in gas to get to the places. I can see I really came out ahead. It would have been cheaper to have just kept the lead and thrown the other stuff in the garbage. LIVE AND LEARN

5 years ago, I was getting 5 gallon buckets of used lead wheel weights for free from tire stores. I was melting it down and casting my own bullets.

 

[Montauk3]

I have found these to be quite common in the Sarasota area. I have given away at least this many to old vets.
I also enjoy them because they are a part of American history.

 

[mumszie]

OK here's a stupid question. I know what the ones on the right are and I know what the ones on the top left are but what are those things on the lower left. Round bottoms and a point?

 

[Montauk3]

The odd looking things are .50 cal bullets that sank base first (flat end) into the sand starting in 1942. Over the years, the sand, shells and other debris became encrusted into golf ball sizes thingys that you now see.
The clean and bright ones have spent a few hours in the rock tumbler.

HTH

 

[FLauthor]

Lido Key is a good place to place to find fired .50 caliber brass. I once showed them to a German tourist who wanted to know why they were on the beach. During World War 2, the Army Air Corp placed life sized plywood targets in the shape of Nazi trucks and Panzer tanks. The barrier islands were deserted so the beaches were used as a firing range. P-47 Thunderbolts, P-51 Mustangs and F6F Navy Hellcats would fly down the beaches strafing the targets. The P-47 and P-51 had 8-.50 caliber guns that spewed out 4800 rounds a minute while the Hellcats had 6 guns which spit out 3600 rounds a minute. I imagine most of the brass had to have been salvaged otherwise the beaches would have been paved in .50 caliber brass.

 

[Montauk3]

Thanks for the added info.

 

[mumszie]

Very interesting. I love it when others come up and add to a post with additional information. It makes it so much more interesting to know why something is found where. Thanks