- Mar 30, 2020
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- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I run across a lot of ballistics while metal detecting. Pre-1960 paper shotgun shell brass bases are an annoyance for me (but my all brass late 1800's 12 gauge Winchester shotgun shells are prized by me). I have a nice collection of .75 and .69 lead ball shot. I've even found a 1700's one inch diameter cast iron canister shot. It's fun to identify finds with caliper and scale.
I have also found a small collection of .50 WWII rounds from the days of wartime Long Island Coastal air defenses. They are obvious with 1943 markings on the base. Most likely some where cleared jams at altitude; or shots fired, sometimes shells, sometimes bullets. Long Island had a few airbases, notably Mitchell Field, that sent out patrols looking for U Boat conning towers (thus the black armor-piercing tip in the enclosed photo). Small remote islands offered target practice. There was every reason at the time to take this threat seriously. See the attached article concerning the June 13th, 1942 U Boat landing of Nazi saboteurs on our local beach.
www.history.com
Today I found a heavy chrome steel variety of bullet and that's a first. May be totally unrelated to the WWII rounds. I can't imagine what a hard steel bullet does to barrel rifling or even the advantages of firing without engaging the rifling. Maybe my area had a werewolf problem! Hopefully someone isn't running around with a .50 cal in our woods.
I have also found a small collection of .50 WWII rounds from the days of wartime Long Island Coastal air defenses. They are obvious with 1943 markings on the base. Most likely some where cleared jams at altitude; or shots fired, sometimes shells, sometimes bullets. Long Island had a few airbases, notably Mitchell Field, that sent out patrols looking for U Boat conning towers (thus the black armor-piercing tip in the enclosed photo). Small remote islands offered target practice. There was every reason at the time to take this threat seriously. See the attached article concerning the June 13th, 1942 U Boat landing of Nazi saboteurs on our local beach.
When the Nazis Invaded the Hamptons | HISTORY
Even before the US entered World War II, German military intelligence had developed a plan to secretly infiltrate the East Coast and sabotage American war efforts.
www.history.com
Today I found a heavy chrome steel variety of bullet and that's a first. May be totally unrelated to the WWII rounds. I can't imagine what a hard steel bullet does to barrel rifling or even the advantages of firing without engaging the rifling. Maybe my area had a werewolf problem! Hopefully someone isn't running around with a .50 cal in our woods.
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