Weejanie1 Posted 9 April , 2013 Share Posted 9 April , 2013 My son found a bullet when we were on battlefield near the Hindenburg line could someone please Help us identify it. Thanks Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weejanie1 Posted 9 April , 2013 Author Share Posted 9 April , 2013 Sorry posted to soon having probs uploading the picture, will do so as soon as I get Back home. Xx Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eairicbloodaxe Posted 9 April , 2013 Share Posted 9 April , 2013 Ohh please do!!! Want to see... Regards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscott Posted 9 April , 2013 Share Posted 9 April , 2013 Hi Jane I suspect its probably a German mauser bullet, or a British .303 - and TonyE helpfully posted some photos of each of these in response to my thread from a week ago entitled "Bullet ID" - you could see if that helps identify the bullet. All the best, Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 Has it got someone's name on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 If there are rifling marks on it with a left-hand twist, ie. they run counterclockwise from tail to nose, that's pretty diagnostic for a 303 British. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 Unless it was fired from a Lewis gun... Sorry Mik! Cheers TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 Unless it was fired from a Lewis gun... Sorry Mik! Cheers TonyE Ah, but that wasn't my logic - all I was saying is that if it's left-hand, it's got to be 303 - not that if it's 303, it's got to be left-hand. Unless of course you know of other standard WW1 barrels with LH twist? Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 This may be of assistance, all from the Western Front and identified by TonyE as follows L – R 3 x French 8mm Lebel Balle D 2 x .British .303in Ball Mark VII 1 x German 7.92mm S geschoss Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 Sorry members but every time we discuss bullets etc from the battlefields I just have to arrange a photo with my pile of mementos from the Somme! Regards Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eairicbloodaxe Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 I'm jealous... I never found anything! Regards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 Just a matter of luck but it is a very interesting aspect of any battlefield visit with of course the usual warnings about munitions. Just to prove that it is just luck, I found a lot of bullets near Delville Wood near where Ale Trench was located and had spent the best part of the morning walking the field when my friend came back from beer shopping and immediately pulled a metal Manchester shoulder badge from where I had just walked, now is that annoying or what?. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithmroberts Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 This topic was started by a forum member with very few posts. If I were her I would not be returning after these posts. I hope she will, so can we leave it please in the hope that she will still ask her question. Keith Roberts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIFFO Posted 10 April , 2013 Share Posted 10 April , 2013 'Chris_Baker' timestamp Has it got someone's name on it? now thats the sort of humour I like Biff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weejanie1 Posted 11 April , 2013 Author Share Posted 11 April , 2013 Thanks everyone for the responses, back home now so hope to get the picture on. There are markings on it and is very similar to one of the bullets 6th from the right in the bottom row of the photogragh. Thanks For putting that on. My Geat uncle l/corp David Niven was killed there on 20/05/1917 hence the reason for our visit. This forum has been most helpful, as Keith mentioned I am very new to this. If it is Alright I will keep asking for help as I want to learn as much as I can. Thanks all. Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 11 April , 2013 Share Posted 11 April , 2013 It sounds like it is a British .303 Ball Mark VII bullet, as that is what all those are in Norman's picture. Keep asking the questions, we are all happy to help! Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weejanie1 Posted 11 April , 2013 Author Share Posted 11 April , 2013 Thanks Tony I didnt even notice they were all the same I was stupidly looking at the colour. How do people manage to bring home their finds if the cant take them on a flight. Our guide suggested Posting which I did. Wondered if their was another way. Thanks Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 11 April , 2013 Share Posted 11 April , 2013 Those are just bullets that have been fired. They contain no explosive or propellant and are perfectly legal to own in that state. However, I would not suggest going through an airport metal detector with them in your pocket! Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weejanie1 Posted 11 April , 2013 Author Share Posted 11 April , 2013 Yes i didnt think i would get it through the metal detector which was why I posted it home, we also found a piece of shrapnel But thought it would be to expensive to post. I wondered if there was another way to get it Back home. Thanks Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 11 April , 2013 Share Posted 11 April , 2013 Jane It is perhaps helpful if we differentiate between bullets and complete rounds of ammunition which still contain the cordite propellant. On no account should these complete rounds be brought back from the battlefield as not only are they still dangerous in the wrong hands but the act of doing so is illegal. The majority of the bullets shown in my two photos were found as complete rounds and the bullet was removed before being brought here to the UK. You probably know this already but here is a complete round for a British rifle from the battlefields made up of an inert case and separate bullet. As TonyE rightly states it is not illegal to own the bullets and I have no problem in bringing these back to the UK albeit not by airline. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 11 April , 2013 Share Posted 11 April , 2013 Jane It is perhaps helpful if we differentiate between bullets and complete rounds of ammunition which still contain the cordite propellant. On no account should these complete rounds be brought back from the battlefield as not only are they still dangerous in the wrong hands but the act of doing so is illegal. The majority of the bullets shown in my two photos were found as complete rounds and the bullet was removed before being brought here to the UK. You probably know this already but here is a complete round for a British rifle from the battlefields made up of an inert case and separate bullet. As TonyE rightly states it is not illegal to own the bullets and I have no problem in bringing these back to the UK albeit not by airline. Norman Thanks for making that clear - I'd been wondering about the fact that only a couple are showing (left twist) rifling marks, so the rest are unfired. I'd wondered if they might have been broken out by fire, some bizarre accident or shellfire or I didn't know what... Usually fired lead-cored bullets only show a close resemblance to the originals if they've struck at long range - at shorter range they tend to be severely damaged by turnover forces, a bit like Seadog's 3rd French Balle D, but much worse because they don't have the strength of its solid bronze. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weejanie1 Posted 12 April , 2013 Author Share Posted 12 April , 2013 Thanks for all the help guys, hopefully it will arrive in the post. I had a tour guide With me and it is just the top part of the bullet. Would that have been fired from a Rifle and out if interest does anyone have a photograph of it. X Many thanks Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 12 April , 2013 Share Posted 12 April , 2013 Take another look at Seadog's 2 rows of bullets - the lower row, 4th and 8th from the right. The skewed groove marks on those bullets are from being driven through a gun barrel with twisting rifling grooves in it to spin-stabilise the bullet for accuracy. If the grooves have a left-hand twist as both of those in the photo do, it's most likely it was fired in a Lee-Enfield rifle, though some machine guns like the Vickers are also candidates. Assuming the bullet is a 303, then a right-hand twist, as TonyE said above, would probably mean a Lewis machine gun. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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