Erm, is this what I think it is?

[Narthoniel]

Hello,

I dug a bomb, or so I believe. Looking for information and opinions on this little relic I dug today. Its long, has fins, and weighs a few pounds.

Legnth: 8.25 inches
Width: 2.125 inches

Thnaks for any information,
Anthony

 

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[taz42o]

WW2 practice grenade

 

[BuckleBoy]

WW2 practice grenade

Great ID

 

[Narthoniel]

Im searching all over but cannot find it online. All I get for "WW2 practice grenade" is a bunch of the pull pin and toss pineapple shaped variety. Your picture is dead on aside from the small loop on mine. Any other search terms I could try?
Thanks,
Anthony

 

[RON (PA)]

Awesome find. You could possibly try some WWII veterans that may be living in the area. They could probably tell you stories that would be a nice addition to your find.

 

[TiredIron]

This is "not" a grenade. Its is a practice bomb intended to be dropped from an aircraft. It posses no hazard or safety concern. Can you get a very close weight on it?
Its an U.S. AN-MK23 Practice Bomb.....see the site.
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=137491059

TiredIron

 

[truckinbutch]

Maybie for throwing a line from ship to ship to carry a larger line . There were many projectile devices developed to do this .

 

[Narthoniel]

This was found a few feet from a house built in 1885 in the middle of a farm. Hard to imagine it getting there. I do not have any scales accurate for this weight range, but using the scale that works for my fat ass it is approxamitly 2-3 pounds.
Anthony

 

[MSgtUSAF]

Miniature Practice Bomb AN-MK5, AN-MK23, and AN-MK43


Filler Type and Weight
The mini practice bombs use a AN-Mk 4 Signal cartridge made of black powder and a pyrotechnic charge or the Mk 5 MK5 Signal cartridge that contains a fluorescein dye which is actuated by impact on water.
Body Type and Weight
The body is made of cast steel construction (metal varies by model) and has an overall length of 8.25 inches. Overall weight varies by model: AN-Mk 5 = 2 lb. 11 oz, AN-Mk 23 = 3 lb., and the AN-Mk 43 = 4 lb. 7 oz.

MSgt

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

WW2 practice grenade

This is "not" a grenade. Its is a practice bomb intended to be dropped from an aircraft. It posses no hazard or safety concern. Can you get a very close weight on it?
Its an U.S. AN-MK23 Practice Bomb.....see the site.
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=137491059

TiredIron

I think you are correct. Practice smoke bomb. If you search the old "What Is Its", you will find them.

ADDED: Good description MSgtUSAF.

 

[Narthoniel]

Miniature Practice Bomb AN-MK5, AN-MK23, and AN-MK43


Filler Type and Weight
The mini practice bombs use a AN-Mk 4 Signal cartridge made of black powder and a pyrotechnic charge or the Mk 5 MK5 Signal cartridge that contains a fluorescein dye which is actuated by impact on water.
Body Type and Weight
The body is made of cast steel construction (metal varies by model) and has an overall length of 8.25 inches. Overall weight varies by model: AN-Mk 5 = 2 lb. 11 oz, AN-Mk 23 = 3 lb., and the AN-Mk 43 = 4 lb. 7 oz.

MSgt

You rock, that is it on the nose. Thank you very much, I appreciate the input. I wonder why it was where it was, but alas, we may never know. Thankfully it never hit the house or the nice lady who lives there(and has for the last 72 years).
Anthony

 

[TiredIron]

In looking at your picture again.....it looks like the signal charge might possibly still be in it....and could still be armed. Just to be safe you might want to soak it in a bucket of water overnight. When you finish flushing it out....tell me what you see.

TiredIron

 

[Narthoniel]

In looking at your picture again.....it looks like the signal charge might possibly still be in it....and could still be armed. Just to be safe you might want to soak it in a bucket of water overnight. When you finish flushing it out....tell me what you see.

TiredIron

I stopped cleaning the bottom when I noticed something that was not dirt in there. Being unsure if it was a live round or not and the potnetial for sudden boom told me to stop. Would soaking it be the best bet, or should I carefully pick at the dirt around it?

Anthony

 

[taz42o]

Dont know why i typed grenade instead of bomb. the pic i posted shows the Winchester smoke shell with plunger and pin. the ring on top of yours someone added to hang it from something.

 

[Narthoniel]

Dont know why i typed grenade instead of bomb. the pic i posted shows the Winchester smoke shell with plunger and pin. the ring on top of yours someone added to hang it from something.

No worries, I appreciate the input.
Anthony

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

In looking at your picture again.....it looks like the signal charge might possibly still be in it....and could still be armed. Just to be safe you might want to soak it in a bucket of water overnight. When you finish flushing it out....tell me what you see.

TiredIron

I stopped cleaning the bottom when I noticed something that was not dirt in there. Being unsure if it was a live round or not and the potnetial for sudden boom told me to stop. Would soaking it be the best bet, or should I carefully pick at the dirt around it?

Anthony

Soak it. Flush it out. Water makes gunpowder harmless.

 

[TiredIron]

I hate walking anyone through something that "could" be potentially dangerous but here we go. The Black powder signal charge looks just like in the pictures.... a real long shotgun shell. It was loaded with the primer end forward and a spring loaded firing pin assy in front of that. The signal charge tube was made of thick paper so I'm 99.9875% sure if you soaked it over night it would render it safe...if there is an issue at all. Just remember its that 0.0125% of being wrong that can get you killed. Its not like a blasting cap...its a shotshell primer so just don't stick anything or pound in the front. Once you clean the rear good you should be able to see in the rear enough to tell if its been discharged. When these things hit they went BANG and smoked....they didn't fragment and throw shrapnel. If this was fresh and went off you could certainly lose an eye, fingers and or your hearing.
Be safe.... Keep us informed.

TiredIron
If this was ANYTHING other than what we're talking about I would NEVER advise you to even touch it.... you would be calling your local Fire Department. Take five minutes and read this .......
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353998,00.html
He soaked this cannon ball for a few months....but a cannon ball is designed to be much much more waterproof. He'd been doing this for many years.....
and that 0.0125% caught up with him.

 

[Narthoniel]

Thank you for your advice. I knew this thing was potentially dangerous and treated it carefully. Carried it home in my padded detector case and carefully removed dirt. My hunting buddy would not get anywhere near it or let it near his car. He was deadly afraid of it and called me crazy for handling it(been called worse). If the inserted round was like a shotgun shell, I see no evidence of the primer end. I removed dirt about 1 inch into each end of the hole. At the top nothing was visible that far in, but on the tail end there is a red matieral sticking out. It feels firm to the touch and could possibly be the plastic portion of a shotshell. Once I realized I had something other than dirt I immediatly stopped cleaning. Safety is my first concern. While I do want to clean this and render it 100% safe, I do not want to be stupid about it. I appreciate your words of wisdom and I will carefully clean more at a later time.
Anthony

 

[TiredIron]

taz42o.......I hate it when I do that.....My mind is thinking one word and my fingers are typing another. Those are all good pictures you included....worth a thousand words.
Thanks
TiredIron

 

[TiredIron]

This does sound like it never discharged....its old but treat it as though its new.
Using a hose (not a pressure washer) flush both ends clean. Stand it up right and squirt WD40 in the nose so that a lot of it can soak past the "firing pin mechanism"....A LOT. If WD40 gets soaked into the actual primer it will render it inoperative. Then next day do like I and others have suggested and soak the whole thing in a bucket of soapy water. After this..."I" would then use a pair of needle nose pliers and extract the guts of the long 10g shell out the rear. I believe the red plastic indicator you see is a "live round" indicator showing it hasn't been discharged....it pops out when it goes off. It would have popped out with great velocity causing injury if it hit you. I wish I was closer to help you.
WD40 in the front...soak it in the bucket good.
Be safe
TiredIron