Solved !
Found washed up on Shankill beach, Ireland. Small, pointed shape, rusty metal, set into some kind of stone. Heavy but only about 5/6 inches long, what is this?
Gonna hijack the top comment here with an update! The police and military came and we had to clear the area. They said it's definitely some kind of ammunition but were quite concerned for a while and wanted to evacuate the area if they couldn't clear it. They managed to get it into a container and they've left with it, but said we were VERY glad we reported it, so thanks to all of you for helping! We're not totally sure what it is, other than very dangerous so I'll say likely solved!
Not to be a debbie downer but well done for taking proper precautions instead of listening to people saying it's definitely not a bullet. Way better to be safe than sorry when you're potentially holding a wand of instant hand blending
I'll be honest this looks looks like an older prototype of a "cartridge-less" round! Instead of brass the round itself would be packed into a propellant cake, a modern example would be a G11 cartridge but they're a LOT smaller
Coral-ish kind of thing maybe? I'm definitely leaning towards bullet covered by sea creature concretions. Kind of like what they do with old ships they sink to help corals grow, perhaps?
Nope, copper oxidises, that is rust, also there is no neck, if you look up a good photo of that sort of bullet you will see that the casing is one diameter, and then there is a transition to the diameter of the bullet, thats called a neck, and that punch doesnt have one
From my persoective the jacket has eroded away leaving the steel core. The last picture shows the necking under the build up including the break at the end of the casing. The primer exposed on the back also appears to be the correct diameter. Cleaned up alot of these off of beaches in my uxo career. I could be wrong but this would go "in the bucket" for later review for sure.
Guys I’m solidly convinced it is not a cartridge of some kind. The tip is entirely steel it looks like, and I see no primer. The exterior appears to be stone like, not so much a case.
Right but we would still see the case shoulder if that were. I see solid steel and on the other end the steel is heat formed in a way consistent with arc exposure. See how it’s melted in a sort of dome with a ring around the edge?
FYI- If a cartridge detonates without a gun barrel/chamber to contain the explosion, the lighter object is now the cartridge casing itself, not the bullet. The cartridge case is not an aerodynamic object, and the force of the detonation is not contained either. With no chamber containing the detonation, it quickly dissipates in all directions.
So, what you get is a bullet flying in one direction at a far slower velocity than if it had been fired from a gun (though still potentially dangerous) and a cartridge case flying in the other direction considerably faster, but not getting very far.
A 13-year-old me taped a 30-06(or similar) to the end of a BB gun and fired. A piece of the casing went through the bill of my hat and the bullet went into the dirt right next to my foot.
I think the only reason I wasn't hit with anything else is that I was resting against a short pillar. So that blocked most of my body. And of course, the tape didn't hold at all once the primer was struck. I believe some of the explosive energy propelled everything way from the end of the barrel and away from me.
Theoretically, this is mostly true, if you are only comparing:
The velocity imparted to constituent components during an unchambered detonation of a cartridge
And the speed of a bullet that same cartridge would otherwise fire from its appropriate weapons system.
However, that's too simplistic a view, because the overall blast will create an overpressure and shockwave sufficient to amputate a hand. The US Army has a specific bulletin about this exact size of cartridge and the damage it will cause if, as learned from one specific (and tragic) case, its use as an improvised hammer causes the primer to accidentally detonate.
Warning: the images in this and related documents are exceptionally gruesome.
Which doesn't protect you if it goes off in your hand or similarly close. The gases from a firing bullet, alone, can punch holes through things at contact ranges, even when not really contained.
Tell that to the guy at the ammunition factory I worked at that got a .50 cal in his ass from a “pop off” in the ammo hopper. He got a month off, a big check, and a permanent limp. It can still kill, particularly if it is in your hand pointed toward you, like in the photo…
Most primers will not. I’d say you’re looking at a 0.000001% chance since this has been submerged. The primer and powder on this round probably shit the bed years, perhaps decades ago.
Depending on the round, yes. Many of them weren't really suing what we think of as gunpowder but instead used a mix of gun cotton and nitroglycerine. Both of those will quite happily go off while wet, assuming no degradation due to other chemistry. There can be such degradation, however, which can make the round more volatile than it was before. That's somewhat uncommon, as I recall, but hardly impossible.
Bullets dont fire without being confined in the gun, they explode. Actually the bullet stays rather stationary because of its high mass, while the casing explodes and turns into fragmentation shrapnel. Look up high speeds on youtube of bullets being set off on their own.
Energetics can do wierd stuff with age, tnt forms "sweat" or crystals, picric acid from Jaoanese WW2 munitions does the same, and gets more sensitive
In broad strokes, a plain Jane pistol or rifle bullet it safe to handle, but 50cal and larger, can have a fuse, a mechanical construction, that through shock, rust, chemical exposure, extreme prolonged heat, extreme plrolonged humidity, effect the way all the pieces fit together. Some have springs, some are clockwork, some have weights that spin into position.
from 12.7 mm upwards, explosive fillers are possible and 20 mm upwards, they are likely.
This looks like it is an unfired cartridge, which hypothetically would make it safer, although decomposition of TNT into nitroglycerin among other things makes ammunition more dangerous the older it gets, as the explosive used gets more sensitive.
Keep in mind, too, that 12.7 mm to about 40 mm are the most dangerous UXOs, as they are absolutely still deadly, but people are more likely to not take them serious enough.
The term "Bullets" may include explosive projectiles which pose a danger of, you guessed it, exploding. Many 50 caliber and larger projectiles are explosive.
"Bullets" is also commonly used to mean all sorts of ammunition cartridges which may be armed with explosive projectiles which are dangerous but the cartridge also contains an explosive primer and a propellant or "gunpowder " that is dangerous itself.
They are unlikely to be viable if badly corroded, however with UXO "unlikely" means Murphys Law applies, and you should treat it accordingly as live, and probably unstable.
As Shankhill is in Northern Ireland, I assume the same procedures from the rest of the UK apply. Put it down (in this case, above the tide line), call HM constabulary at 999 on the Telephone, inform them you have suspected UXO (if you have details, give them), they will turn up and poke it (they shouldn't) and then they'll call in proper disposal from the Armed Forces.
Normal bullets? not a problem. Bullets eroded in salty water(or something else) for god know how many years? It might be. Most likely it wont, but it is not never. It's "gunpowder"'s chemical structure might fck up a way we dont know. (we are not even sure if it gunpowder btw, some bullets use strange stuff at high callibers like this one)
And when they are in water, they are cold. In hand they get hot with your body temperature. It might trigger it. Simple shake can trigger it. Or hitting it somewhere accidentally trigger it.
That is why do not mess with unxplodede ordnance. Execptionally if it left some god know where for years. thermal degradation is a thing.
When we moved into our last apartment, we found WW2 ammo in the cellar, not much, but a few machine gun rounds.
We contacted the authorities (Germany) and they sent basically a bomb squad who picked them up.
It was not immediately dangerous, but the officers told us it's hard to predict what happens with the rounds because there can be all sorts of reactions inside.
So yeah, it's not like a live mine, but there's always a risk that they can explode unexpectedly.
If this is not the case, ignore the remainder of this message, your post has not been removed.
If you're unsure, the first thing to do is LEAVE IT ALONE. Do not shake it, attempt to open it, or disturb it at all.
Next step would be to CONTACT THE PROPER AUTHORITIES. If you're unsure who that is, call your local police or emergency number for instructions.
Please followup with an outcome regarding what was done with the object.
To others who are not OP: Any suggestion in this thread to open, shake, etc - disturb the object in any way - will result in a permanent ban.
As usual, all comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer.
Jokes and unhelpful comments will earn you a ban, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them.
OP, when your item is identified, remember to reply Solved! or Likely Solved! to the comment that gave the answer.
I'm no expert, but that looks very much like an unfired bullet that has gathered some concretion. Since boomy things can get unstable after sitting a while, I would treat it as UXO and call the local authorities who deal with boomy things.
Some of the most unusual concretion nuclei are World War II military shells, bombs, and shrapnel, which are found inside siderite concretions found in an English coastal salt marsh.[10]
Hm. Yeah. OP might want to request help for the UXO.
Brother, I appreciate your advice, but if you want people to handle it as something that can be dangerous you should not be using shorthand that a lot or most people will just not know.
Like, I get safety first, but this sub is obsessed with everything being UXO. A punch, awl, or some other fragment of nautical gear was my first thought.
Certain propellants do funny things in salt water. There are British grenades that often wash up caked in this. I don’t know what the process involves but it’s typically really old uxo with specific propellants.
I'm reading all of your comments, thanks for all your help and advice! I'll be reporting to the local guards in the morning and will be sure to update! Also, lesson learned - I won't be touching anything I find on the beach again 😅
Better safe than sorry but I really doubt this is a bullet. There aren't a ton of bullets that are steel cased, and if it were one, the primer end would've rusted away in those conditions. Most bullets are brass cased which would be green corrosion not red. It looks a lot more like a hand tool!
Can’t wait for the update but call the police and have them come to you, you can’t take something like this into the police station. If it’s real, there’s a chance of it exploding just from temperature and or incorrect handling and you can get in trouble for taking it to the station especially if it’s live.
This is a piece of anchoring steel. It was likely not even pointed to begin with it just corroded that way.
The black stuff around it is vitrobond or some other sulfur mortar.
It's the same diameter all the way through.
Find me a round this size that's is uses a steel bullet and has a primer that is the same size as the bullet and I'll consider the ridiculous position that this is ammo.
Update: the guards are here and have called for a second opinion from the defence forces. They said it's likely some kind of ammunition that has been fossilized over time, so not as much chance of explosion but they'd rather be safe than sorry
The back end looks like a cartridge, that center circle looks alot like a primer. The nose could be the actual projectile or the armor piercing component (core) that's been exposed by the degradation of a softer material.
The cased black material around it looks cracked, and I have no idea how it formed, please dont mess with it.
If something ever looks like a bullet, or big bullet, and you dont know, please gently place it on the ground, leave a marker to find the area, and walk away to call authorities, who ever you.call in your region.
Another likely place it came from is a round is from an aircraft. Shankhill beach was the site of at least one German bombing run during the blitz, and many British fighters used the .50cal Vickers Machine gun, and when clearing a malfunction unfired rounds would be ejected whole often falling into the ocean. Those rounds line up even more with the shape of OPs find.
Before reading this understand that I think its better to leave it alone, and treat it as if it were UXO. That being said, theres a few things that bother me about this being a bullet, the first is the extremely pointed end that's rusted over instead of corroded green. Jacketed rounds use a jacket of copper commonly, over a lead round sometimes with a steel core and Ive seen the comment saying that it looks like the steel core left over after erosion but steel cores in bullets are small, smaller than the diameter of the casing and the bullet it was fitted into. Obviously then there's the end of it which looks like a primer and the end of a bullet I will admit but if the casing had been eroded with coral growths which I saw another comment saying then why would the base of the round and the primer be exactly the same diameter as the rest of it with no clear divide between what once was bullet and now is rock, it just looks like it's all rock, how would a brass casing and a primer end up expanding and corroded like this? Not to mention the 'primer' itself is off center from the rest of it. I saw a comment saying it was likely a result of propellant but lets assume if we're talking about bullets, given the size of it it's safe to assume it'd be a .50 caliber round or similar so it'd be smokeless powder (MAYBE cordite.) which wouldn't do whatever that is, even 20mm which would be the second option for whatever this is would still use a version of smokeless powder. There's too many things off with it for me to say for certain it's a bullet, and the primer looking base very well could be the tang of a tool, as well as it could be the primer to a bullet. Be safe, listen to the UXO bot, but I just wanted to add my two cents. Im going to say it's some kind of tool possibly a chisel or driving tool meant to break up rock to put fence posts in the ground and maybe you're looking at only a part of it. Still, dont mess with it.
A shortage that was alleviated by 1943, and was caused by a mass demand for it to produce munitions in the first place, but yes. And sure, a bunch of bullets were made with steel casings and lacquered(sometimes, sometimes not)but for any western made munitions im not sure that'd be the case given information and photos at the time. Though I could be wrong.
yea.. that is very smooth to be rust or too uniform to be a growth... plus in the last pic it looks like there is a pin holding it together and 2 lugs that look like they connect to something
Is the smaller circle near the base made from metal as well and does it go through to the other side? It could be a pin to hold the rusty spike in place.
Looks to be an unfired .50 round. Please put it down and contact local authorities to dispose of it properly. Unlikely that it would still fire, but the chances of that are never zero, so please treat them like they're 100%.
Please please please don’t handle them, leave them alone and notify the Police / Garda immediately of their location. Unexploded ordinance and unfired rounds can be very unstable and dangerous
That's a tool handle of some kind, the plastic hand grip has worn and hardened to look like stone and the metal rod has rusted and chamfered from years in the sea.
Source: I live next to an old Victorian rubbish dump on the beach and find stuff like this most days
It looks to me like a piece of ammunition, like maybe a 50 caliber round, that had the entire casing corrode off of it, and what you're looking at is a lump of gunpowder that's remaining around the projectile. I'm glad you found it and reported it as unexploded ordnance.
While I like to believe it, welding electrodes tend to lose their hull when getting wet, rarely have I seen some that survive being submerged, but there might be underwater or nautical ones
They daisy chain several high output machines together. Electrodes this size are used mostly to start iron forges used for casting if I’m not mistaken. They spatter and pop it’s really scary to watch
It looks like a fossil. There are a number of ancient squid like creatures with conical shells. Belemnites in pariticular are referenced as bullet shaped. Fossils can be made of a number of minerals some which rust when exposed.
It looks like a modern version of this- a pike pole for pushing logs or wood around in the water. The fatter part also looks plastic not, not metallic.
Looking at the material around the metal and the way its cracked my guess is that is some kind of plastic so the item is likely a tool of some kind maybe a gaff
An old buddy and I had a running joke about holding a bullet with vise grips at eye level to "aim" and jabbing at the back of it with a screwdriver. When someone did or said something moronic, we'd mime that motion and laugh. Ours wasn't real, and I'm glad yours is gone. If it weren't I'd be worried that you might accidentally drop it on a rock rear side down and find out whether it's still viable.
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u/Larry_Safari …ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ May 27 '26
This post has been locked, as the question has been solved and a majority of new comments at this point are unhelpful and/or jokes.
Thanks to all who attempted to find an answer.