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Military carefully unload ammunition from the car!
1911a1-fan
Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZj6-3TvaF8
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FORRESTAL was unrepping (underway replenishment)via highline, pallets of MK82 and MK83 (500/1000 lb) general purpose bombs from a supply ship one night in the Atlantic. They were coming aboard into Hanger Bay 2 and the sea was running high.
I was driving a 6000 lb forklift running them forward to the weapons elevator in Hanger Bay 1.
The Bos'n that was running the highline on our end was doing a good job setting them down softly but occasionally a freak wave would raise the fantail abruptly and a pallet of six bombs would hit the deck hard.
It raised the pucker factor, but we had a job to do. I was a newby third class and took my ques from the first class. If he hauled *, I would too.
One pallet load was coming aboard when the water when out from below the ship. It caused the pallet to rise about 15-20 feet above the deck. As the bos'n was lowering the pallet, the water under the fantail lifted the ship quickly and the pallet hit the deck hard enough to snap one of the 7/8 inch wide steel banding straps holding it together.
It had hit loud and everyone in the evolution had stopped instantly. We all looked at each other thinking "Wow, we're still here"!
A little before sun up, the onload finished. I suppose we did it at night to keep the Soviets from seeing what weapons we had aboard. After that, I always preferred vertrepping (vertical (helo) replenishment).
Not to say Navy ammo ships haven't had accidents and been blown to hell and gone, but what those guys in the video were doing probably wouldn't blow them up.
The neat thing about being an ordnanceman is if you screw up, you don't suffer. [8D]
That is going to really screw up some driving / rotating bands on those projectiles.
It won't affect their performance at all. They get all kinds of engraving when fired and their sole purpose is to impart a spin and seal the gases behind it.
Only if the band is missing or mostly missing will it have a bearing on flight.
A burr on a rotating band is a fart in a hurricane.[:D]
quote:Originally posted by US Military Guy
That is going to really screw up some driving / rotating bands on those projectiles.
It won't affect their performance at all. They get all kinds of engraving when fired and their sole purpose is to impart a spin and seal the gases behind it.
Only if the band is missing or mostly missing will it have a bearing on flight.
A burr on a rotating band is a fart in a hurricane.[:D]
You are talking about shooting them.
I am talking about collecting them. [:D]
Not the dummies that infest every surplus store, but ginuwine high explosive shells. With or without fuzes?
Not to sound stupid, but is it "legal" to collect artillery rounds?
Not the dummies that infest every surplus store, but ginuwine high explosive shells. With or without fuzes?
Sure - kind of.
Your basic artillery projectile consists of three parts.
The fuze, which could be on the "nose" or in the base. Fuzes have many many many parts (mostly gears, springs, and such). They will also contain an explosive material.
The body, which is the "container" for the explosive charge. The body may have been demilled by removing the rotating/driving band and/or having a torch cut through the threads where the fuze screw onto the body.
The last component is the explosive charge. This is the part that most normal no collectors don't want because it is the part that will ruin the paint on the walls in your collection room.
Some projectiles do not have fuzes or an explosive charge. These "kinetic" rounds are just a big ol' chunk of steel designed to punch a hole in things - mostly tanks. However, some of these "kinetic" rounds do contain an explosive charge on the inside. Often times to either act as a tracer so the tank can see where you are (I mean why else would it show the flight of the projectile? You already know where the tank is. [:D]) or a used as "marker" so you can tell where on the tank you did not hit.
If the body band has been removed (sometimes this is done for the salvage value of the brass), you must duplicate it - assuming you want a decent looking projectile in your collection. You can do this many different ways. Usually, I just use a piece of PVC plumbing pipe and fasten it to the body and paint it a "brass" color.
It the threads have been torch cut, the best method is to weld the cut closed, chuck it in your metal lathe, and re-cut the threads for your fuze.
Fuzes are available, if you can find them. Expect to pay more money than what you would pay for a brick or two of .22 ammunition.
You really need to know what you are doing, if you start collecting artillery projectiles. These things can kill you! - or they can really really hurt your toes, if you drop them.
The M-865 120mm used on the M-1 Abrams tank uses a combustible case, so if you have that projectile (kinetic round), you will need to make a case on your wood lathe.
Go here for instructions on doing that (GUNNUTinIowa, my alter ego)- https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/m865-tpcsds-t-120mm-cartridge/7419
I am not sure about those folks that live in California. I believe that if you collect artillery projectiles there, you can't own a magazine that holds more than ten of them. [:D]
edit- correct statement concerning collectors and explosive charge.
Impressive Sir.
That is one fine collection U S Military Guy.
Impressive Sir.
Thank you.
That is part of it. [;)]
Someday I need to take some more up to date photos.
One of my former rodmen was a scrounger/packrat/hoarder wannabee, and was attracted to ANY shiny or unusual objects. We were seated in the Suburban, reducing level notes, he was behind me. He kept pounding on something he'd found, and it was annoying me. I put down the book & calculator and told him to knock it off. He said he would, as soon as he got to zero. That statement tickled the WTH part of my brain, so I got out, opened his door, and saw the 3# sledge, the block of wood under the artillery shell, and all the dents on the shiny silver fuze assembly.
It looked just like the one in your pic; the silver one with the red tag.
He later put 4 HUGE antitank mines in the back of the truck to use in his garden walkway as stepping stones. They were about 3' across, maybe 8-10" thick, olive drab, and weighed about 35-40 pounds each.
The guys at the Wackenhut shack on the way out spotted one, and they held Ralph & the truck for a few days. They figured out that he didn't have the mental capacity of a 3-year old, and turned him loose. The truck cost DMJM a wad of money to get back.
Capt. Jack Sparrow.