Live ammo!

[Goldstrike]

I'm so glad this bullet didn't decide to make a hole in me as I was digging up this live piece of ammo in a park today!! I doubt you could hit it hard enough with a Lesche or some other digging tool BUT......I side on caution not being an expert on ammo. I did not want to carry it on me as I returned to my van so I put it in a place no one especially a child could get it and will dispose of it tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, it sounded just like a quarter with a high tone and registering a TID of 38-39.

 

[kschae4]

GS, glad you're safe. "Let's be careful out there".

 

[Mtnmn]

Being a hunter and former reloader I've found many live rounds of ammunition both while hunting and metal detecting. There is actually very little chance of setting a live round off unless you were to hit the primer just perfectly. Even then the round might not go off as after a few years often moisture from rain and freezing and thawing in the winter time will render the primer charge or the powder charge incapable of firing. I know this because of having test fired many of the rounds I used to find and it mostly depended on how new the round was, on whether or not it would fire.. It actually might be easier to set off a live rim fire cartridge such as a .22 magnum because there is no exterior primer to get wet and all that is really needed is a good solid blow to the outside rear edge of the shell casing..

 

[Goldstrike]

Thanks Mtnmn for the feedback. Seeing as I detect beaches about 70-80% of the time, I don't come across live ammo. I detect parks most of the other times and have come across modern shell casings occasionally but that's about it. There were no civil war action here in Southern California, just random gunfights between the early settlers/pioneers and the Indians so not many casings either!. Now if you were to go downtown L.A. you'll find plenty of spent ammo in the streets LOL!!!!

 

[dldavis79]

I agree with Mtnmn 100% and the ammo looks fairly new, it looks alot like the ammo i used in a sks rifle.