Explosive cannonball. Is it Class 3?

You can own a cannonball, you can own a grenade, you can own an artillery shell, IF they do not contain explosive filler. If they do, they each one is a destructive device, and if not registered with the BATF(E), it is illegal.

Black powder is an explosive. It may not be a high explosive under today's definition, but it is an explosive, and is stored and shipped as such.

Do a search to see what happened to Ken Ballew because he had a can of black powder and some dummy grenades! And don't think the govt has changed their mind about this just because several decades have passed since!
 
Saw an article today in the paper about a man in northern Indiana who had a civil war cannon ball in his barn. The shell was still set to go, everything was there.
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People continue to dig CW explosive shells up and get killed by them.

I have an article from the 60's or 70's, a Gettsyburg Antique dealer was drilling one in the back of his shop. It took him out and a customer out front.


A local EOD guy told me a little old lady asked him to come over and inspect her cannon balls.

The little old lady had put these two cannon balls on the fireplace mantle, one on each side.

Both cannon balls had their original explosive charge and were fused. :eek:

I have wondered, over the years, just how many embers just missed going down the fuse hole.
 
Saw an article today in the paper about a man in northern Indiana who had a civil war cannon ball in his barn. The shell was still set to go, everything was there. My question is: is this considered class 3? And if not, is it legal to own.
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The short answer to the original post is that the device is legal, but requires ATF authorization to possess as it is an NFA firearm (class 3 is a kind of dealer)

No type of firearm is illegal in the USA. While there are additional controls for some, a person can own any type of firearm they want as long as it is legal in their state.

http://www.atf.gov/regulations-rulings/laws/

For anything over a half inch bore, there has to be an ATF exemption (like those for 28 to 10 gauge shotguns) or ATF authorization is obtained by submitting an ATF form 1 or form 4. Submitting an ATF form 1 to make or the ATF form 4 to buy a cannon is a routine thing.

From THE GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968 TITLE 18, UNITED STATE CODE, CHAPTER 44 section 921, a firearm is any weapon which will or is designed..... expel a projectile by the action of an explosive...a silencer.....detructive device. Does not include antiques.

Antiques include those using loose powder with ignitions systems like the flinklock, cap lock and matchlock. This includes replicas of guns made before 1898.

The term "destructive device" means— any explosive, indendiary or poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket with >4 ounce propellent charge, missile having an explosive charge more than 1/4 ounce, a mine or any gun with a bore >1/2 inch other than a shotgun.

From page 189 of the above link; (M27) Are muzzleloading cannons classified as destructive devices?
Generally, no. Muzzleloading cannons not capable of firing fixed ammunition and manufactured in or before 1898 and replicas thereof are antiques and not subject to the provisions of either the GCA or the NFA.

Ranb
 
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Kennesaw State University in Georgia had some Civil War cannon balls on display in the Social Science building last year. Apparently they had been there for a couple of years and one day someone said "hey, those cannon balls may be dangerous" They evacuated us from the building and had National Guard and the county police EOD took them and disposed of them somewhere

http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/live-civil-war-cannonballs-602538.html
 
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