Mills bomb fragment?

[ryandunny]

Hi all, does anyone know what this fragment piece I found on the Somme could be? The grooves remind me of the inside of a mills bomb but the outside is smooth rather than the rectangular pieces. Thanks!, Ryan. 

[OLD ROBIN HOOD]

Greetings from the forest of Sherwood.

 

I always find this sort of thing really interesting. My feeling is that it is  a shell fragment ,but that is just an opinion based on the photographs.

 

                                                                                Old Robin Hood

[Michelle Young]

A bit of nose cone I think. 

Michelle 

[ryandunny]

Thanks both! Yeah that was my first though too until I saw the grooves on the mills bomb are very similar so got me wondering! But yes, your probably right about being a  bit of nose cone... I find it really fascinating too, Old Robin Hood! 

[trajan]

Aren't those grooves for threading the thing into place? In which case a nose cone!

[Gunner Bailey]

Shell fragment IMHO.

[ryandunny]

3 hours ago, trajan said:

Aren't those grooves for threading the thing into place? In which case a nose cone!

Yeah. But the mills bomb had a similar one so just got me wondering. My first thought was a nose cone untill I saw this and second guessed but pretty sure it's a nose cone after everyone's comments. Thanks all 

[ServiceRumDiluted]

I think, and I'm no metallurgist, but Mills bombs were cast iron and shattered, the fragments retaining original shape. Steel and brass deforms and rips in an explosion. The deformation and sharp edges on your piece point away from it being a Mills fragment.

[Gunner Bailey]

3 hours ago, ServiceRumDiluted said:

I think, and I'm no metallurgist, but Mills bombs were cast iron and shattered, the fragments retaining original shape. Steel and brass deforms and rips in an explosion. The deformation and sharp edges on your piece point away from it being a Mills fragment.

Agree 100%

[GWF1967]

4 hours ago, ServiceRumDiluted said:

I think, and I'm no metallurgist, but Mills bombs were cast iron and shattered, the fragments retaining original shape. Steel and brass deforms and rips in an explosion. The deformation and sharp edges on your piece point away from it being a Mills fragment.

 

19 hours ago, Gunner Bailey said:

Shell fragment IMHO.

Agreed.  A piece of shell fragment.  Too thick for Mills bomb casing.  

 

 

[Mickjam]

Shell fragment that brass fuse screws into.

Edited 18 January , 2020 by Mickjam
forgot pic

[ryandunny]

On 18/01/2020 at 08:46, ServiceRumDiluted said:

I think, and I'm no metallurgist, but Mills bombs were cast iron and shattered, the fragments retaining original shape. Steel and brass deforms and rips in an explosion. The deformation and sharp edges on your piece point away from it being a Mills fragment.

Ahhh. Interesting. Thanks for this.