Artillery projectile identification (suspect American and WWII)

M

MMDeveloper

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Found Artillery - Imgur

Found this artillery shell while metal detecting on a populated beach in St. Augustine, FL. On the same quarter mile stretch of beach, I've also found several 50 cal rounds in parallel rows as if the beach had been strafed at one point. I understand the dangers and those have been repeated to me on several sites, I just want to know what this came from.
  • This shell is 8.5" long
  • The rear of the shell is 2 15/16" in diameter
  • The nose of the shell is 2 3/8" in diameter
  • The inside of the nose is threaded and is 1 5/8" inside diameter
  • The rifled portion is brass and is 3 1/8" in diameter

These measurements are not exact as rust may be throwing them off a little. The overall composition of this item appears to be steel with a brass rifling ring. It's pretty heavy but not heavy enough to make me think it's solid steel.

There are markings on the "head stamp" area, some of which are legible. In no particular order, I can make out these markings:
  • DOD 638 37
  • MOD 2K-HW 00
  • 876 LBS
  • COM FL WAA
It's pretty corroded so I wrote down what I THINK some of the letters are. There are other markings stamped on it but too corroded to make out.
 
It's a 75mm shell. For what, exactly, I don't know. The location for the base fuse makes me think that it's some sort of armor piercing round as opposed to a nose-fused high explosive.

My first inclination would be something for a Sherman tank type gun, but the M62 APC shell had a three part driving band.

I wonder if it might have been something like an M66 HEAT round for the 75mm Pack Howitzer...
 
"As it was found on a beach, 3" naval round would be my first guess."

Maybe... except...

It shows at least some indications that it's an armor piercing shell. I know of no Navy guns that used 3" AP shells with base fuses.
 
G503_75mm_Shell_Lot.JPG

do my eyes deceive me or is the top shell the one in the picture... according to the page I got this from it's a 75mm M48 circa WWII.
 
EOD

County EOD confirms it's an M66 HEAT round from the M116 Howitzer. Although it's missing the nose cone, it still has its detonator and explosives inside. They're en-route right now to pick it up for demolition :(
 
"HEAT... High Explosive AntiTank?"

Yes.

"County EOD confirms it's an M66 HEAT round from the M116 Howitzer. Although it's missing the nose cone, it still has its detonator and explosives inside. They're en-route right now to pick it up for demolition."

Did someone examine it? Otherwise, how would they know?
 
Clearly this thing was picked up and moved around if only to take the pics we see.

I wouldnt be keen to handle a old piece of ordnance like that. Might be the last bright flash you see
 
The ordinance call went to my county, they came, looked at it, took pictures of it, relayed the event to the county that it came from as they have an actual EOD department. Those guys said that they've had a few calls of this exact nature over the years and could tell by looking at it that's what it was.

Why they haven't torn that beach apart blows my mind, given the ordinance finds on it. No telling what else is yet to be discovered there.
 
Guess the citizens of London aren't the only ones who have to watch what they step on.
So, if you got blown up would that count as a WW2 casualty or a current one?
 
I asked if the blowing up was a private party or not, they said that they didn't give a **** if I watched. When the EOD finally arrived they made us go inside. They picked it up, left, never got to talk to them again. 2 hours later there was a window-rattling THUD, where they blew it up.

Was hoping maybe one of the deputies would bring back a souvenir or something but nothing :|
 
There was a post a while back by a guy who had had an "old shell" by his fireplace for years, where it got hot and also kicked around quite a bit. Finally, he decided to call the police EOD and ask about it. It was a very much loaded and fuzed 75mm shell; which they took away. While many explosives are not especially sensitive to heat (black powder excepted), having the shell fall into his fireplace might have had some unpleasant "repercussions".

Jim
 
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