OK military ordinance guys, what have I found?

[flatbutton]

Found this a couple of weeks ago. I've had a few people tell me they thought it was a 20 mm. I was just looking at it and noticed there was something stamped on the brass band. It has MK. 44 or 14 -0 A lot c -78. It has something else stamped on it but I can't make it out.

 

[AlabamaRelic]

I'm not trying to be a smart ass. or·di·nance
ˈôrd(ə)nəns/
noun
noun: ordinance; plural noun: ordinances

• 1.
  North American
  a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority.
  "a city ordinance banned smoking in nearly all types of restaurants"
  ord·nance
  ˈôrdnəns/
  noun
  noun: ordnance
  
  • 1.
    mounted guns; artillery.
    [TABLE="class: vk_tbl vk_gy"]
    [TR]
    [TD="class: lr_dct_nyms_ttl"]synonyms:[/TD]
    [TD]guns, cannon, artillery, weapons, arms, ammunition; More munitions, materiel
    "the disposal of WWI ordnance continues"
    
    
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    
    
    
    • US
      military weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in connection with them.
      
      
    
    
    
    
    
  • 2.
    a branch of the armed forces dealing with the supply and storage of weapons, ammunition, and related equipment.
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[Peyton Manning]

how about measuring it?

 

[Jason in Enid]

Found this a couple of weeks ago. I've had a few people tell me they thought it was a 20 mm. I was just looking at it and noticed there was something stamped on the brass band. It has MK. 44 or 14 -0 A lot c -78. It has something else stamped on it but I can't make it out. View attachment 1125374View attachment 1125375

I don't know exactly what you have, but you should tread VERY LIGHTLY until you know for sure. It could be an explosive projectile. Common "bullets" weren't stamped on the projectile.

 

[flatbutton]

I'm not trying to be a smart ass. or·di·nance
ˈôrd(ə)nəns/
noun
noun: ordinance; plural noun: ordinances

• 1.
  North American
  a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority.
  "a city ordinance banned smoking in nearly all types of restaurants"
  ord·nance
  ˈôrdnəns/
  noun
  noun: ordnance
  
  • 1.
    mounted guns; artillery.
    [TABLE="class: vk_tbl vk_gy"]
    [TR]
    [TD="class: lr_dct_nyms_ttl"]synonyms:[/TD]
    [TD]guns, cannon, artillery, weapons, arms, ammunition; More munitions, materiel
    "the disposal of WWI ordnance continues"
    
    
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    
    
    
    • US
      military weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in connection with them.
      
      
    
    
    
    
    
  • 2.
    a branch of the armed forces dealing with the supply and storage of weapons, ammunition, and related equipment.
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

No problem, Realized the mistake after posting it

 

[ARC]

Agreed... that one COULD pack a punch.

 

[flatbutton]

how about measuring it?

Measures 21.5 mm at the band jeff, too crusty to get a decent measurement anywhere else

 

[flatbutton]

I don't know exactly what you have, but you should tread VERY LIGHTLY until you know for sure. It could be an explosive projectile. Common "bullets" weren't stamped on the projectile.

Yeah man, I know that's right! The worse part is that I was whacking it on my shovel until I saw the band.

 

[heartslayer2001]

mk44 30/40 mm short cannon , 40mm shell. was that in use in any battles around where you found it?? revelutionary era i would think.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It's a 20mm, offhand I cant tell you if it's a solid shot (safe), tracer, incindiary, or explosive (not safe).... in that condition, and being unfired (no rifling marks on the band) it'll be hard to say. Personally... I'd toss it in a deep lake or river and forget about it. Odds are it's solid, but why take the chance?

 

[Peyton Manning]

mk44 30/40 mm short cannon , 40mm shell. was that in use in any battles around where you found it?? revelutionary era i would think.

really? they had rounds like that in the rev?

 

[BosnMate]

Agreed, 20MM. Probably WWII through Korea era. Don't heat it up, or hammer on it. Where did you find it? Military training area? Just curious how it might have got there.

 

[flatbutton]

Agreed, 20MM. Probably WWII through Korea era. Don't heat it up, or hammer on it. Where did you find it? Military training area? Just curious how it might have got there.

Found it at an old mill site. Back in the 40's - 50's it was nothing but woods and swamp there. The site is very close to a military air base.

 

[BosnMate]

It doesn't look like it's been fired, which adds to the mystery. Fired it would go a long ways and could have been a stray round off the base, but unfired and not in a case
makes it a head scratcher for sure.
The 20MM gun I'm familiar with was the Korean War era anti aircraft gun on the ship.

This is a twin barreled 20MM, which was a crew served weapon, there was the gunner, then a first loader on each barrel, plus sailors passing the large magazines of ammo to the gun.
The Navy still uses the 20MM as an anti aircraft gun, only this one is called a vulcun gun, and it's automatic, controlled by a nitrogen cooled computer deep inside the ship.

It's all automatic, it picks up the incoming missile, and spews out 6,000 rounds a minute, with no crew around. If you want more info on 20MM WWII era anti aircraft guns check out this link. 20MM Gun

 

[Dug]

It doesn't look like it's been fired, which adds to the mystery. Fired it would go a long ways and could have been a stray round off the base, but unfired and not in a case
makes it a head scratcher for sure.
The 20MM gun I'm familiar with was the Korean War era anti aircraft gun on the ship.
View attachment 1125563
This is a twin barreled 20MM, which was a crew served weapon, there was the gunner, then a first loader on each barrel, plus sailors passing the large magazines of ammo to the gun.
The Navy still uses the 20MM as an anti aircraft gun, only this one is called a vulcun gun, and it's automatic, controlled by a nitrogen cooled computer deep inside the ship.
View attachment 1125567
It's all automatic, it picks up the incoming missile, and spews out 6,000 rounds a minute, with no crew around. If you want more info on 20MM WWII era anti aircraft guns check out this link. 20MM Gun

The military base near where the projectile was found was previously populated with A-4 Skyhawks which had two MK-12 20mm aircraft gun systems each. These aircraft date back to service in Vietnam. I wonder if the projectile markings stand for: 78 =1978 when the round was manufactured and MK4 is the 20mm ammo type. Word search 20mm on the internet.

 

[flatbutton]

The military base near where the projectile was found was previously populated with A-4 Skyhawks which had two MK-12 20mm aircraft gun systems each. These aircraft date back to service in Vietnam. I wonder if the projectile markings stand for: 78 =1978 when the round was manufactured and MK4 is the 20mm ammo type. Word search 20mm on the internet.

Sure miss seeing the Skyhawks and the Phantoms flying around here. Still have C130's and A6's but mostly Harriers now rule the sky around here.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

really? they had rounds like that in the rev?

Sure. Irish revolution. Cuban Revolution. Rhodesian Revolution. Vietnamese Revolution.

'Course a jacketed 20mm post-dates the American Revolution by about 125 years; but lots of places had revolts since then. ;-)

 

[Tedyoh]

Cool find B. - I found this picture of an old 20mm ammo can, MK2 & MK4 = HE-I TETRYL (high explosive incendiary )??

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Yep. HE-I Tetryl is just what you said. US Navy Oerlikon cannon ammo.

Britain, Switzerland and USA 20 mm/70 (0.79") Oerlikon Marks 1, 2, 3 and 4



The inset is my Scoutmaster who was on the South Dakota. His battle station was to feed a 40mm.

 

[CHIPEOD]

Instead of tossing it in a lake, call the PD and they will coordinate an EOD team to come exray it and return it if safe to, and if not we will simply blow it up, this way if it's an HE round the problem isn't propagated for others to find later i.e. Kids