Small mortar shells found in woods?

[1845greyhounds]

While scouting for deer, I found 4 mortar shell looking things and several spent smoke grenades. Everything was within 50 yds on a wooded point going into a field with a road running through it (maybe 150 yds away). This was on Deer Creek FWA near Putmanville Correctional Facility in Indiana. The FWA was recently acquired by the DNR for public use.

Each assembly has 2 pieces, a plastic body and a hard rubber coated, weighted nose. The nose has a very light press-fit into the body. There is evidence of old glue between the pieces. The body is hollow with a center through hole and 2 sets of holes crossing through the hollow body. Dimensionally, the part is ~8" long x 1.5" outside diameter. What is this thing???

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/01/9ype7y9y.jpg http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/01/vebe2a6y.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/01/nevu9uhu.jpg

[Sweetpea]

Looks like Obummer lost his suppository...[smilie=l:

[texassako]

Dummy rifle grenade maybe?

[MOcaster]

Used to start controlled forest burns? Just spit balling here.

[41 mag fan]

Looks like Obummer lost his suppository...[smilie=l:

Or that monkey he calls his wifes suppository

[Artful]

Dummy rifle grenade maybe?
I'd agree
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44432-a-collection-of-rifle-grenades-and-flares/
collection of rifle grenades and flares
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_06_2009/post-299-1244259552.jpg

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2011/06/praxis-practice-rifle-grenades-surplus.html

Could even be for paint ball games

[jcwit]

Wasn't that the toy mortar shell sold back in the 50's. You put caps in the take apart front and tossed them in the air and on impact "BANG".

[SOFMatchstaff]

I would guess the proximity to a correctional facility might have given a clue, I vote for riot gas shell of some variety.
the old Federal Tear Gas gun and the S&W gas guns were used in prisons a lot.

I made the mistake of cleaning up the range one day after the PD had practiced,, NEVER again..

[Love Life]

I made the mistake of cleaning up the range one day after the PD had practiced,, NEVER again..

That's priceless right there!! Kind of like going to burger king in your cammies (on base) after spending all day in the gas chamber.

[Lance Boyle]

That was my first guess, a CS grenade for a launcher of some sort.

[1845greyhounds]

I would guess the proximity to a correctional facility might have given a clue, I vote for riot gas shell of some variety.
the old Federal Tear Gas gun and the S&W gas guns were used in prisons a lot.

I bet you're correct about it being for tear gas. It seems to the correct diameter... I'd like to find something that shows how this was launched. I haven't seen any Internet pictures showing anything that looks identical.

[Dryball]

looks very similar to rifle-launched grenades fired from an m1 Garand

[Dale in Louisiana]

That's priceless right there!! Kind of like going to burger king in your cammies (on base) after spending all day in the gas chamber.

When I was a drill sergeant at Fort Polk in the early 70's, I came home one day after a happy day in the gas chamber (CS) with my young soldiers. I sat in my chair. The wife was on the floor playing with the baby, and decided to lay her cheek on my leg.

Bad mistake. I guess I had gotten enough CS to sort of develop an immunity. Wifey didn't.

It's nice when something comes along that makes your wife sort of understand what you go through to earn a living.

dale in Louisiana

[Uncle Jim]

It looks just like a pracitce mortar round we used in the USMC. It is fired by a blank round and has a very short distance of travel making recovery possible for reuse.

[Wayne Smith]

It looks just like a pracitce mortar round we used in the USMC. It is fired by a blank round and has a very short distance of travel making recovery possible for reuse.

That was gonna be my guess, too. Although I was never a Marine.

[Blacksmith]

Definitely alien anal probes. Cover your ***!

[GabbyM]

What does an anti heat seeking flare look like?
Type they launch from flare and chaff tubes on military aircraft for missile defense.
Tried to web search up a photo but can't locate.

[Mk42gunner]

When I was a drill sergeant at Fort Polk in the early 70's, I came home one day after a happy day in the gas chamber (CS) with my young soldiers. I sat in my chair. The wife was on the floor playing with the baby, and decided to lay her cheek on my leg.

Bad mistake. I guess I had gotten enough CS to sort of develop an immunity. Wifey didn't.

It's nice when something comes along that makes your wife sort of understand what you go through to earn a living.

dale in Louisiana

Nothing like a good snort of CS to clear the sinuses.

Seems like every time we had gas chamber training it was a week before the allergies and sinus problems started again.

Robert

[shaper]

I'd agree
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/44432-a-collection-of-rifle-grenades-and-flares/
collection of rifle grenades and flares
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_06_2009/post-299-1244259552.jpg

rl]http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2011/06/praxis-practice-rifle-grenades-surplus.html[/url]
Could even be for paint ball games

I don't want to hijack this thread but I have a question. How is a rifle grenade launched? Is it true , say for a M1, is a 30-06 projectile fired into the base of the grenade?
sorry for the dumb question, I have never seen one.

[GabbyM]

I don't want to hijack this thread but I have a question. How is a rifle grenade launched? Is it true , say for a M1, is a 30-06 projectile fired into the base of the grenade?
sorry for the dumb question, I have never seen one.

I'm no expert but.
They had grenades with a hole though them so you could use regular ammo. Ones with a dedicated blank launch round flew farther IIRC. In the photo above it shows some of the blank rounds.

[Dale in Louisiana]

I'm no expert but.
They had grenades with a hole though them so you could use regular ammo. Ones with a dedicated blank launch round flew farther IIRC. In the photo above it shows some of the blank rounds.
both methods have been used.

American rifle grenades employ a special blank round, as do the majority of other nations. There are grenades, however, that are set up to be launched with a standard round.

Dale in Louisiana

[hoosierlogger]

I bet they came from the Putnamville race track from their 4th of July fireworks. Some might have made it over there that didn't go off.

[Blacksmith]

http://www.municion.org/

On the list on the left side click on the eleventh one down:
Lanza Morteros

It will bring up a page with lots of mortar launching rounds. Use one of the online translators if you see something you don't understand.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Wasn't that the toy mortar shell sold back in the 50's. You put caps in the take apart front and tossed them in the air and on impact "BANG".

Nope ! Not that toy. BvT

[gnoahhh]

Interesting find, and interesting discussion of its origin. But, I gotta ask- Why the heck did you take one apart? If I found something like that, and didn't know what it was, I wouldn't have risked the chance of it blowing up when disassembling it! (Not trying to be critical or a nervous nellie, but there are some things even I won't mess with!)

[mikeym1a]

Well, for one thing, it looked like a practice grenade. The real thing has a whole different, serious look to it. This thing had a thin, tinny look that screamed facsimile. JMHO.

[1845greyhounds]

Interesting find, and interesting discussion of its origin. But, I gotta ask- Why the heck did you take one apart? If I found something like that, and didn't know what it was, I wouldn't have risked the chance of it blowing up when disassembling it! (Not trying to be critical or a nervous nellie, but there are some things even I won't mess with!)

The head and body were partially separated when I found it. The body was full of dirt and black ants! I was more concerned about biting bugs than explosives. The other ones I found were empty bodies only (no head).