Hazards of Unexploded Ordnance

[gvanvekoven]

Just got my regular newsletter from Lost Treasures. A sad story concerning the loss of a veteran detectorist in a tragic UXO accident. By brothers and sisters in Christ, after working with and handling explosives and ammunition of all kinds - both foreign and domestic - for almost 30 years, I can tell you - this stuff is not worth the risk of messing with. I do it because it's my job (I am not in the military or with EOD), I have taken lots of classes - and have to continue to do so in order to keep up on things. New things are learned about old stuff all the time. Nobody knows it all - least of all me. A life is not worth risking for a few dollars worth of metal filled with stuff that was designed to kill people. Please don't take the risk. It's not like what is in the movies on TV or at the theater. Most of that stuff is hog wash. You wont see people trying to screw a fuze out, or trying to clip the right color wire in real life. Don't fall for it. If you do, it could be the last thing you fall for. If you find anything that looks like unexploded ordnance - leave it alone. Mark the spot - and report it to the authorities. When they arrive - show them to the spot and then clear out. Even the experts can get seriously hurt or even killed messing with this stuff. Lots of people who may show up might in fact not know that much - and do things they should not. That's why it's best to get far away before some Rambo type starts poking around on stuff with a K-Bar.

Anyway - on the same site - a cool story about a Father and Daughter team that have invented a robotic metal detector. Always more good going on in the detecting world than bad.

Be safe!
Gary V.

The link is http://www.losttreasure.com/Newsletter/index.cfm?NewsletterID=249&PageToGo=609

 

[Mike Chgo area]

n/t

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

I have two cannon balls and they are solid shot. But I have seen many live rounds found! Even a few 100 lb parrot shells!

 

[Jim West Pa]

He was ARMY trained and it scares the bajeebers out o me how very little he knows about the actual explosives he's dealin with. He can identify and dissarm any landmine from around the globe. But when it comes to understanding the characteristics of the very explosives he handles.......how did you put it ?.........."tetched".

 

[gvanvekoven]

n/t

 

[gvanvekoven]

These are just a few of the items I have come upon. Believe it or not - these were found in a previously used public hunting area and where the boy scouts often did map reading training. Some look like just old rusty hunks of pipe, but they are not. Some are more obvious than others. When in doubt - assume the worse. You just never know. An old Army training and ammo dispossal ground.