Family has live 8" shell as a lawn ornament

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Family has live 8" shell as a lawn ornament

Posted: 2/20/2006 6:25:36 PM EDT

Feb 17, 10:10 PM EST

TNT Shell Sits on Lawn for Two Decades

WOODBURN, Ore. (AP) -- For at least two decades, the Korean War-era shell sat in the front yard. It wasn't so dangerous a lawn ornament as it might have been - it had no fuse.

The fuse detonates the larger explosive charge on impact. The shells are difficult to explode without one.

Still, it was full of TNT. A state police expert said it could have gone off in extreme circumstances.

"If the place had caught fire, then the shell could have detonated," said Sgt. Steve Sigurdson of the state police arson and explosives unit.

The experts said the shell was 3 feet long and weighed 150 pounds. They said it was of a type that was shot from 8-inch-diameter howitzers during the Korean War. It was also used in Vietnam.

Police didn't disclose the name of the Woodburn family who lived with the shell. A nephew with explosives training who was leaving for Iraq visited the family, examined the lawn ornament and called authorities, Sigurdson said.

"They had been using this thing as a lawn ornament," he said. "It had been there on the property when they moved in 20 years ago."

The Oregon National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing has an Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit at the Portland Air Base. Those bomb experts picked up the shell and will dispose of it, Sigurdson said.

Link

Posted: 2/20/2006 6:26:39 PM EDT

[#1]

Arrested for NFA violation?

Posted: 2/20/2006 6:34:08 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Arrested for NFA violation?

definately

Posted: 2/20/2006 6:36:13 PM EDT

[#3]

Home Defense

Posted: 2/20/2006 6:38:25 PM EDT

[#4]

if i were that nephew, i would have properly disposed of it without getting the family in trouble.

Posted: 2/20/2006 7:23:22 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Arrested for NFA violation?

Might want to back the tinfoil off a half a turn.

Posted: 2/20/2006 7:27:12 PM EDT

[#6]

but would the ATF burn their house down, thus causing the shell to explode?

Posted: 2/20/2006 7:49:12 PM EDT

[#7]

That would have made one hell of an IED.

Posted: 2/20/2006 7:49:40 PM EDT

[#8]

Wonder if he had the fuse? SHTF

Posted: 2/20/2006 7:54:06 PM EDT

[#9]

Man, I would have kept it for SHTF.
Killer IED

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:08:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Man, I would have kept it for SHTF.
Killer IED

How would you detonate it?

Also, if I had a live shell in my house, and my house was on fire, the shell would be the last thing I would worry about.

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:16:24 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
but would the ATF burn their house down, thus causing the shell to explode?

Only after all the dogs had been shot....

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:16:36 PM EDT

[#12]

Funny.

Almost as funny as when CE at Williams AFB in AZ used det cord to string clothes lines in base housing.

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:25:21 PM EDT

[#13]

Not to nitpick but a 8in HE projo weighs 200 lbs and does contain ~ 36lbs of HE depending on whether it has a Comp B or TNT filler.

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:30:12 PM EDT

[#14]

We all need one

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:31:51 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Man, I would have kept it for SHTF.
Killer IED

How would you detonate it?

Also, if I had a live shell in my house, and my house was on fire, the shell would be the last thing I would worry about.

I'm sure you could find one of the fuzes around.
But, it's just idle talk anyhow.
Hence the

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:35:04 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Not to nitpick but a 8in HE projo weighs 200 lbs and does contain ~ 36lbs of HE depending on whether it has a Comp B or TNT filler.

If someone had set that rascal downrange and shot it with a 7mm mag, do you think it would have gone Boom?

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:39:38 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Man, I would have kept it for SHTF.
Killer IED

How would you detonate it?

Also, if I had a live shell in my house, and my house was on fire, the shell would be the last thing I would worry about.

I'm sure you could find one of the fuzes around.
But, it's just idle talk anyhow.
Hence the

Heat, shock, friction

TNT isn't that hard to set off, a nice application of fire is all that you need. TNT and fire don't mix well together. A hard enough shock, say hitting the projectile with a sledgehammer might not be too bright or trying to chisel the filler out. Using a drill, to drill a hole might not be too swift neither.

I would be willing to watch say from about 300 meters , behind a berm with drink and popcorn in hand, to watch a Darwin candate try the above methods.

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:41:50 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Not to nitpick but a 8in HE projo weighs 200 lbs and does contain ~ 36lbs of HE depending on whether it has a Comp B or TNT filler.

If someone had set that rascal downrange and shot it with a 7mm mag, do you think it would have gone Boom?

From about a 100 meters, Yes!!! TNT doesn't like being struck by projectiles.

Oh, with 36lbs of HE, you REALLY don't want to be close by.

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:43:44 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Man, I would have kept it for SHTF.
Killer IED

How would you detonate it?

Also, if I had a live shell in my house, and my house was on fire, the shell would be the last thing I would worry about.

I'm sure you could find one of the fuzes around.
But, it's just idle talk anyhow.
Hence the

Heat, shock, friction

TNT isn't that hard to set off, a nice application of fire is all that you need. TNT and fire don't mix well together. A hard enough shock, say hitting the projectile with a sledgehammer might not be too bright or trying to chisel the filler out. Using a drill, to drill a hole might not be too swift neither.

I would be willing to watch say from about 300 meters , behind a berm with drink and popcorn in hand, to watch a Darwin candate try the above methods.

how about a few pounds of tannerite?

Posted: 2/20/2006 8:58:09 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Man, I would have kept it for SHTF.
Killer IED

How would you detonate it?

Also, if I had a live shell in my house, and my house was on fire, the shell would be the last thing I would worry about.

I'm sure you could find one of the fuzes around.
But, it's just idle talk anyhow.
Hence the

Heat, shock, friction

TNT isn't that hard to set off, a nice application of fire is all that you need. TNT and fire don't mix well together. A hard enough shock, say hitting the projectile with a sledgehammer might not be too bright or trying to chisel the filler out. Using a drill, to drill a hole might not be too swift neither.

I would be willing to watch say from about 300 meters , behind a berm with drink and popcorn in hand, to watch a Darwin candate try the above methods.

how about a few pounds of tannerite?

To get a sympathetic detonation through the projectile body, I am not sure how reliable it would be as I have never tried anything like that. I would tend to think it wouldn't have enough brissance to be reliable.

To put a 8" HE projo in perspective, if one detonated 300 meters from me, I'd be damn sure I had a berm or a nice foxhole to dive in as in a second or two large pieces of steel WOULD be flying by. The base of the projectile can go well over a 1000 meters, Trust me!!!!!

Posted: 2/20/2006 9:27:16 PM EDT

[#21]

I just didn't know whether it still would after all those years of freeze/thaw hot/cold.

Definately something where one should ask a person who knows, rather than say Hold my beer or Watch this.

Posted: 2/20/2006 9:41:30 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Not to nitpick but a 8in HE projo weighs 200 lbs and does contain ~ 36lbs of HE depending on whether it has a Comp B or TNT filler.

If someone had set that rascal downrange and shot it with a 7mm mag, do you think it would have gone Boom?

From about a 100 meters, Yes!!! TNT doesn't like being struck by projectiles.

Oh, with 36lbs of HE, you REALLY don't want to be close by.

But it would make digging that inground swimming pool I aways wanted alot more interesting. But now if you had the M110 to fire it.......

Posted: 2/20/2006 10:20:12 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I just didn't know whether it still would after all those years of freeze/thaw hot/cold.

Definately something where one should ask a person who knows, rather than say Hold my beer or Watch this.

TNT is rather stable, I have used TNT that was made in the early 50's and have detonated TNT and Comp B filled projectiles that have been in the sun for decades.

TNT when it breaks down, will break down into DNT, which is a powerful explosive in its own right.

Posted: 2/20/2006 10:25:16 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Not to nitpick but a 8in HE projo weighs 200 lbs and does contain ~ 36lbs of HE depending on whether it has a Comp B or TNT filler.

If someone had set that rascal downrange and shot it with a 7mm mag, do you think it would have gone Boom?

From about a 100 meters, Yes!!! TNT doesn't like being struck by projectiles.

Oh, with 36lbs of HE, you REALLY don't want to be close by.

not trying to break any CoC rules here, but is there a general rule to go by for blast radius per pound of explosives like TNT?

Posted: 2/20/2006 10:50:13 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Not to nitpick but a 8in HE projo weighs 200 lbs and does contain ~ 36lbs of HE depending on whether it has a Comp B or TNT filler.

If someone had set that rascal downrange and shot it with a 7mm mag, do you think it would have gone Boom?

From about a 100 meters, Yes!!! TNT doesn't like being struck by projectiles.

Oh, with 36lbs of HE, you REALLY don't want to be close by.

not trying to break any CoC rules here, but is there a general rule to go by for blast radius per pound of explosives like TNT?

Actually, everyone using Tannerite should abide by these safety rules. A few here found out about frag from debris they put on a tannerite shot, someone's vehicle got hit from frag.

Posted: 2/20/2006 10:57:30 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
Actually, everyone using Tannerite should abide by these safety rules. A few here found out about frag from debris they put on a tannerite shot, someone's vehicle got hit from frag.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Family has live 8" shell as a lawn ornament

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