Live Explosive Cannonball? (photo)

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

B. Lahey

New member
2012-01-14140953-2.jpg


Anyone know what this is?

Saw it on the shelf at an antique bookstore today. Shows no sign of having been drilled or otherwise deactivated. Has an intact timefuse with settings up to 3 seconds.

I told the bookseller dude it could be dangerous. He appreciated my input and said he would put it "out back" until he could get somebody to look at it. Figured I would ask here for him to see if anyone knows if this is a fun paperweight or a potential exploding deathbomb.
 
unless someone has the correct fuse with them I doubt its a danger and even then the powder if not removed is most likely no longer useable.
 
Fuse maybe, but powder can stay dangerous for a very, very long time. Especially black powder, which I do believe is highly stable. I'd be worried too.
 
I honestly don't know anything about these things other than the fact they exist.
What a cool find though, I think an inert one of these would be great to have in the collection.
Does anyone know if the powder can be safely removed?
 
Black powder is highly UNstable.

Over time the total power will degrade, yeah, but some will turn into something a lot like "primer". Drop that thing off a shelf and it very well might kill multiple people.
 
Would EOD be able to verify its status without destructive measures? (Chemical sniffer for powder, or something like that?) Or would it be SOP just to blow it up, if the answer were not obvious?
 
Ok, I just called him and told him it could indeed be really dangerous. But I didn't have any idea what he should do with it.

Who do you call for ancient ordinance in Southern Michigan?
 
Don't know how long black powder keeps but I can tell you I have loaded and shot 30 year old rifle powder.. As far as just shooting same as fresh.. I would treat that thing with respect..
 
It most definitely should be considered dangerous.

From a U.S. Army website .pdf

Even Civil War cannon balls and souvenir munitions that may have been kept by a family and handled for years can be extremely dangerous.
Click to expand...

Most law enforcement agencies have emergency contact information for the nearest military EOD team. I had several dealings with them shortly after 9/11, when we were flooded with "suspicious package" calls. They'll almost always respond within a couple of hours.

thallub, outstanding response! Thank you :cool:.
 
I would put it in a bucket of hot soapy water. IF the water gets inside, that will deactivate it, at least until it dries out real good (and that will take a long time because black powder is somewhat hygroscopic)

Even experts get blown up trying to deactivate these things by drilling them or unscrewing the fuze.
 
When I commanded the 45th EOD detachment, Ft Polk La in 1975, we routinely recovered and demilled Civil war cannonballs.

One of my Senior Techs built a jig to hold the balls. We remotely drilled and then washed out the black powder charge. When the powder dryed it would burn.

The last one we drilled got to hot and the thing blew up. After that incident I would not allow demill. We built a bonfire, initiated the fire remotely and waited for the explosion. They generally exploded.

The thing is dangerous and the bomb squad should be called to remove it.
 
Would EOD be able to verify its status without destructive measures?
Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not. It could be extremely dangerous, not to mention, possession of it could lead to "fed" charges of possession of an explosive device.

Putting it "out back" could lead to big time problems if some kid found it could lead to big time problems.

Call the cops, they'll notify what ever EOD unit that supports your area.
 
Sorry, I wasn't implying he should not call EOD, as I think they should be called. (Edit: ASAP; I also agree with kraigwy that "out back" could be hazardous, and that mere possession could cause state and federal legal problems.)

I just wondered if they would destroy it as a matter of course, or if they had a safe, non-destructive means to test for powder charge.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top