I have a Cannon shell from WW2, please someone identify and help!

I'm looking for some information on a shell I was left by my great uncle when he passed away in 2001, see picture attached. It's rather large (see my foot also in photo) heavy and its marked with 1943 which would tally with my Uncle's story of it being from World War 2.
It has a number of markings on it, on the base, See these pics..



I firstly want to know what it's from?
Is it live? It appears to have no drill holes and still looks like it has a pin in the base.
What is its value?
Can you help?

 

There are better chaps than me at this stuff, but that looks to me like an Armour Piercing Capped 6pdr (pounder) shell, as fired from the British 6pdr gun?
(not sure exactly how interchangeable they were, but the US 57mm was largely the same gun, if memory serves...)
Seem to recall they're quite pricey as complete items? But again, there are others here that know better.

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/tankammo2.htm
Ordnance QF 6 pounder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you're not sure it's inert, do be careful...

~A

 

Thank u! Hopefully i'll get some more replies then!

 

It is an Armor Piercing Capped (APC) for a 6 pdr antitank gun (or tank gun). It looks like it was manufactured in May of 1943. Its of British manufacture as the US designation of this round would be 57mm not 6 pdr. The shot (black part) is inert and has no explosive charge. If there is powder in the shell casing (you can hear it slosh around if you gently shake the round) then is poses a minor hazard as a live round. Maybe someone else can ID the manufacturer marks as to what company made it.

 

Thank u, do you know if its valuable?
There is sloshing when you tip it so I assume that's gunpowder?
Do you know where I can take it to get it emptied?

 

Oh dear, I hope you are not walking around with live amno.... If you have any doubt leave it alone and call your local authorities.
It has no value. Empty shells can be found in Europe on every flea market , people don't bother picking them up , except when they have been turned into trench art.

 

Ok thanks, i had no intention of selling it as I said it was my Great Uncle's and i've already had it 10 years.
Local authorities would just take it off me and destroy it and I don't want that.

 

check with a reputable gunsmith as to amount and de-acting this round

 

It's a British 6pr with solid-shot projectile. The indentation in the centre of the detonator indicates that it's been fired. The propellant would have been cordite and not powder so you wouln't be able to hear anything sloshing around inside.

I doubt that this is dangerous unless it happens to fall over onto your foot. As Skipper has said, it's not particularly rare and is probably worth less than £50 but it's an interesting WWII relic.

 

I would avoid dropping this round as powders in old rounds deteriorate to something similar to tnt in some cases making them pretty unstable. Unstable means they can fire or explode. You need a British ordinance expert at demilling to tell you how to disarm or disassemble this round safely. I would place it in a safe place where fire or shock cannot reach it until you decide on its disposal. I would warn all that the breakdown of gunpowder produces this described substance and also breaks down to emit ether gases that are also highly flammable to trigger fires from static electricity when disassembled. I worked assembly lines for demilling maintaining the grids that discharged all static electricity in those vicinities. Often powders when exposed had to be placed outside to vent the ether to avoid the line workers from taking in a dosage of ether as it was that prominent.

 

Martin is this the type of powder filled with spaghetti shaped cordlets? (if full) .

Does it sound hollow? If yes, it is probably empty.

50£ you say, They go fo 5-20 euros here (empty of course)

 

Yes - it would be the corded explosive. £50 is with the projectile which makes it more colelctable ; as you say, an empty shellcase alone would be worth £10 at the most......

 

all right, I thought so too otherwise I'd be rich by tomorrow considering the number of cases I can find a any flea market .

 

In the UK, the only shellcases which command any sort of reasonable value are German WWII, especially steel ones.....

 

Really, I could find you a whole stock of empty cases if you want. They were used as vases , umbrella cases and much much more after the war, including trench art like lamp posts , or hot water bottles. The Uk ones are harder to find here. French WWI ones are everywhere, German WWI ones too.

 

I'm no expert, but to me it looks like a tank round.

 

There are many 6 pounders found in British tanks, various Churchill's, Valentines, Crusaders in their middle stages. and many mounted on wheels as anti-tank guns . There is not a connection as to the round and what fired it that I am aware of. Later a APDS round, discarding sabot , greatly increased it's effectiveness.

It is a very nice collector piece..

Gaines