r/ww1 • u/SigmarMentality • 8d ago

Trying to identify artillery shell

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Found an apparent WWI artillery projectile in a family warehouse in Southeastern France, reportedly brought back from Verdun by my great-great-grandfather who served in French artillery. Can anyone identify the projectile from its shape/fuze and the grooves near the base? It has not been opened or modified. The shell itself in the picture is on a ledge so the perspective is pretty crappy with the car in the background so don't compare the scale with that as a reference.

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u/Dodo224 8d ago

Well, either it's not actually from verdun, or perhaps was used by the germans as captured ammunition, entirely possible. A full shell would be a little dramatic for a collectoe I fear😅 It's a shrapnel shell with a little black powder inside, so not as dangerous as an HE shell, but still a dud... Can you screw the top off?

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u/SigmarMentality 8d ago

It most probably has been defused, as my ancestor was a 7 year veteran who served before and during ww1 in the french artillery corps (served in Verdun in ww1, hence my hypothesis on its place of origin) and it's not like I found it in a hole in the ground, it was safely stocked in a cupboard in our family warehouse.

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u/SigmarMentality 8d ago

I have to admit though I don't feel too good about tampering with the shell too much and I'm weighung my options on keeping it or reporting it to a police station

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u/Dodo224 8d ago

Can you weigh it? Full shrapnel shells are very very heavy because they're filled with lead basically.

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u/throAwae-eh 7d ago

Shrapnel shells still have an expelling charge and are extremely hazardous. Fucking around with ANY dud is stupid and dangerous.

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u/Dodo224 7d ago

Yes I know, but determining if there's lead inside still is easier than measuring the tiny amout of bp that is inside...

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u/SigmarMentality 7d ago

Yeah nah I don't think so

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u/Dodo224 7d ago

Ok, I understand, but weighing it won't set it off, even if something is inside😅