NationStates Jolt Archive

The police have closed the road and sent the bomb squad in because somebody dug up an old mortar bomb. I'm just wondering, is it actually possible for these bombs to go off? Closing the road is a pain and seems completely unnecessary.

The police have closed the road and sent the bomb squad in because somebody dug up an old mortar bomb. I'm just wondering, is it actually possible for these bombs to go off? Closing the road is a pain and seems completely unnecessary.
yes. and at the drop of a hat at that.

yes. and at the drop of a hat at that.

Seriously? Surely it's just the equivalent of a bit of fuel in a rusted container now..

Seriously? Surely it's just the equivalent of a bit of fuel in a rusted container now..

as explosive break down they become more reactive.
for instance dynamite breaks down into nitroglycerin.

the substances that make same to handle break down quicker then the explosive itself.

I believe they are very dangerous.

A few weeks ago there was a story here of an expert restorations guy who restored cannonballs and so forth from the Civil War. He had done this for over 20 years for Universities, museums etc. One exploded while he was working on it and he was an expert...not your average dufus that just stumbles on such things.

So yeah I imagine it is a good thing the road is closed until the authorities can dispose of it properly.

A few weeks ago there was a story here of an expert restorations guy who restored cannonballs and so forth from the Civil War. He had done this for over 20 years for Universities, museums etc. One exploded while he was working on it and he was an expert...not your average dufus that just stumbles on such things.
Surely it was a shell, not a cannonball?

I thought cannonballs were just balls of metal.

Surely it was a shell, not a cannonball?

I thought cannonballs were just balls of metal.

i don't think you can tell right off the bat when looking at ammunition form that era.

Surely it was a shell, not a cannonball?

I thought cannonballs were just balls of metal.They had explosive cannonballs; which I suppose are technically shells, but they're also balls fired by cannon.

Well if it was in Liverpool, it was probably to stop some scally from stealing it or using it for a game of footie...

It's very possible. They can go off at almost anything, or they may not go off at all. It's like russian roulette, except with a larger bang.

Why not? Isn't it better to be safe than sorry? We are talking unstable explosives here...

The police have closed the road and sent the bomb squad in because somebody dug up an old mortar bomb. I'm just wondering, is it actually possible for these bombs to go off? Closing the road is a pain and seems completely unnecessary.

having it go off and injuring who knows how many people would be more of a pain.

if you want fun, find a place where you can see the action and watch them dispose of it.

Oh yes, old bombs are very, very likely to go off if they're not handled extremely carefully.

There's a town here in NC where people can't dig in their own backyards without a very high risk of finding a cannonball from the Civil War that hasn't detonated.

And yes, the guy in Virginia who blew himself up while trying to de-activate a cannonball.

Oh yes, old bombs are very, very likely to go off if they're not handled extremely carefully.

There's a town here in NC where people can't dig in their own backyards without a very high risk of finding a cannonball from the Civil War that hasn't detonated.

And yes, the guy in Virginia who blew himself up while trying to de-activate a cannonball.

how do you de-activate a cannonball:confused:

how do you de-activate a cannonball:confused:

Tell it the code word

Tell it the code word
:p
would that be "don'tblowupinmyfaceplease!"?

how do you de-activate a cannonball:confused:

What I meant was make it unable to explode...

couldn't think of a better word for it.

how do you de-activate a cannonball:confused:

apparently that guy in Virgina didn't know either. :p

apparently that guy in Virgina didn't know either. :p

He did, actually, he was an expert...

He did, actually, he was an expert...

in cannonball disarming or in explosives? :p

Tell it the code word

Yeah, he used the wrong words. Confederate shells deactivate when you say "Lincoln is a ******* ****-tard", but he thought it was a Union shell and said, "Davis is a n00b"

What I meant was make it unable to explode...

couldn't think of a better word for it.

ah, my mistake then.

The police have closed the road and sent the bomb squad in because somebody dug up an old mortar bomb. I'm just wondering, is it actually possible for these bombs to go off? Closing the road is a pain and seems completely unnecessary.



They found a 2000lb German bomb in someone's garden on a street near where I used to live. Bomb disposal said if it went off, which it was likely too, it would of taken out the street.

The sergeant also claimed that if it was a German WW2 Parachute mine, it would of been worse.

1. Old ordnance should always be treated as if it was going to go off at the next touch.
2. The most dangerous part of any exploding munition is the fuse. Many older munitions used chemicals and mechanisms that become very unstable over time.
3. The composition of a munition cannot readily be determined except by experts, and sometimes not even then. Often the distinguishing features of old ordnance cannot be determined due to rust, impact damage, dirt, and missing paint.
4. Treat all discovered exploding ordnance as if it was designed to kill you, because it was.
5. Just because you cannot see a fuse on the round does not mean that it is not present. Although unfuzed ordnance is less likely to explode, sufficient stupidity regularly achieves wonders of catastrophe.

The US Civil War collector was very likely machining a hole in the side of the round he was working on. He had a row of dozens more rounds he was de-activating. He may have gotten sloppy. He may have gotten unlucky. Blast damage prevents us from being very sure, and probably his fellow ordnance experts aren't going to further grieve his widow by being condemning him to the press.

The only time I ever discovered unexploded ordnance in Iraq (because I stay in the safe areas and don't travel as much as I should), I stayed alive through application of one rule: Don't Touch It. (http://www.moderaterisk.net/2007/03/found_on_a_mountainside.php)

Edited to correct one error and change one word