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Post by steveontherock on Dec 13, 2009 8:00:48 GMT 8
My wife found this heavy piece of metal on Morrison Hill. It appears to be a 3-inch artillery fuse. Any specifics? Will it go BOOM! if we throw it in a fire? Attachments:
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Post by mgk1951 on Dec 13, 2009 10:22:49 GMT 8
Hi
It's a good find, but without some dimensions it could fall into the 3 inch to 4 inch category. Initial thoughts are it is rounded, of an older type and could be either US or Japanese. It resembles a Japanese fuse in (a photo of) a shell fired from a Japanese submarine in 1942 into Newcastle, New South Wales, which didn't explode.
From a safety point of view, have a look at the base of the fuse and see if the gain or accelerator is still in place. This would be the most dangerous aspect of a fuse. The gain would look like short a metal cylinder. The gain is ignited by the fuse itself and in turn ignites the filling of the shell. If this is gone, it would indicate the fuse had already set of the shell's contents or at least the gain had rusted away if the shell had not exploded.
To be on the safe side, it is always wise to have someone with the correct knowledge have a look at these types of things - just to be safe and never disturb a complete round.
So, from what shell has this fuse come?
Regards
mgk
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Post by EXO on Dec 13, 2009 20:29:53 GMT 8
The Scrounger (from Boston) writes: It's an Artillery Fuze most likely for a 75mm or the 3 inch Rapid Fire piece. It's the old style from WW-I but that's what they had on The Rock. The tabs on the sides were for a tool used to attach a setting tool to adjust for the time of arming in flight. Time to arm was determined by the range to the target. Some types used slots for a different type of setting tool. If you check your fuze closly you may still see some of the graduation lines and or numbers.
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Post by mgk1951 on Dec 16, 2009 12:54:35 GMT 8
Hi Original drawings of 21 Second Fuze Model of 1907 M, from "Handbook of the 3-Inch Gun Materiel 1917". The same fuse was used on the 3.8-Inch Howitzer and is listed in the "Handbook of the 3.8-Inch Howitzer Materiel Model of 1915" dated 1917. Drawings of Japanese fuzes, of about the same size and, which look similar, including (on the Type 3rd Year) having the protrusion as at " a' " on the M 1907 Fuse drawing. However, the Japanese fuzes have a hole for a safely pin in the nose of the fuze. I'm unsure if the US Model of 1907 was similarly equipped. Regards mgk
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