Help with Hispano-Suiza 20mm Shell ID

[Markeight]

Hi all, I was shown this item on the weekend just been, its very clearly a fired 20mm Hispano-Suiza shell and I'm trying to figure out whether or not it's dangerous to get the owner to get rid of it - they are adamant its a ball projectile from a training range and not HEI so are not keen to part with it given it came out of a WW2 aircraft (supposedly). I cant see any evidence of a fuse and its not the right shape for AP but quite frankly I don't know enough about munitions to convince them it's got the potential to go bang on them at some point, or confirm it's simply an interesting paperweight...

Thanks for any help!

 

[Greyman]

The majority of wartime British Hispano designs had the same basic shape as pictured above - including the HE and HE/I rounds. Enough detail is obscured by the corrosion that I'm not comfortable making a call when safety is involved.

 

[Airframes]

Agree with above. Not sure, but the base looks like it has a corroded filling plug, rather than a concave depression as would possibly be found on a ball or solid AP round.
This may indicate that it could be incendiary or explosive.

 

[Kingscoy]

Get rid of it. These HE rounds are really dangerous! Especially when fired and unexploded.

P.s. if you just google it you would see that this round has a friction fuse. On impact friction and heat will set of the round. So it does not have a so to say conventional fuse. Yours is too far gone to ID it properly as a HE or AP....so don't mess around with it and get rid off it before the owner loses his life using an uxo as a paperweight.

 

[CANRAY]

Put it in your oven and sser the temp to 450°. Wait for 35 minutes and turn the oven off or replace the door. At this age, the projectile is more than likely a dud. The tiny amount of eds would have gassed off and left nothing but a sticky, acidic, residue.

 

[CANRAY]

Put it in your oven and set the temp to 450°. Wait for 35 minutes and turn the oven off or replace the door. At this age, the projectile is more than likely a dud. The tiny amount of rdx would have gassed off and left nothing but a sticky, acidic, residue.

 

[Markeight]

Thanks all for your input - I have contacted the owner this morning to say it cannot be confirmed as a training round and there is far too much potential for this to be a safety issue to keep it, he has agreed to hand it in to police for appropriate disposal (whether he does or not is another thing, stubborn old bugger...)

Thanks again people, greatly appreciated

 

[Markeight]

Get rid of it. These HE rounds are really dangerous! Especially when fired and unexploded.

P.s. if you just google it you would see that this round has a friction fuse. On impact friction and heat will set of the round. So it does not have a so to say conventional fuse. Yours is too far gone to ID it properly as a HE or AP....so don't mess around with it and get rid off it before the owner loses his life using an uxo as a paperweight.

Interesting - I've not heard of this before and couldn't find anything by googling it (not sure I was searching correctly), do you have a reference/website you can point me too?

 

[Barrett]

Earlier this year a British subject found an intact .50 caliber (calibre!) cartridge in his garden, evidently dropped there by an 8th AF bomb group back when. Much angst as to whether the cartridge was dangerous, diverting to differences in Euro and US laws/attitudes. IIRC if he failed to turn the thing over to The Authorities he could be prosecuted for violating The Queen's Regs, whatever they might be. Americans said dust it off and put it on the shelf. The sorta marginal images made it somewhat difficult to offer an informed opinion, but the concern about spontaneous ignition certainly was misplaced. And after some 70 years in the earth, it seems highly doubtful that the primer remained intact. The other aspect is that even if the round were ignited, the most that could happen would be a low-order detonation with no chamber to contain the pressure. Sign me: Ordies R Us.

 

[Kingscoy]

Earlier this year a British subject found an intact .50 caliber (calibre!) cartridge in his garden, evidently dropped there by an 8th AF bomb group back when. Much angst as to whether the cartridge was dangerous, diverting to differences in Euro and US laws/attitudes. IIRC if he failed to turn the thing over to The Authorities he could be prosecuted for violating The Queen's Regs, whatever they might be. Americans said dust it off and put it on the shelf. The sorta marginal images made it somewhat difficult to offer an informed opinion, but the concern about spontaneous ignition certainly was misplaced. And after some 70 years in the earth, it seems highly doubtful that the primer remained intact. The other aspect is that even if the round were ignited, the most that could happen would be a low-order detonation with no chamber to contain the pressure. Sign me: Ordies R Us.

Hi,
Never underestimate uxo's. A .50cal is certainly not the same as a HE round!

Currently not home but will post a pic of the mentioned 20mm round as soon as I get home. Don't have the info on my phone.
Cheers Sander

 

[Kingscoy]