Interesting finds

[jigenax]

Last month, I was walking around Vasquez Rocks Park in LA County and found a rusty M13 link. It was probably from a movie shoot since it's a popular place for Hollywood.

That got me thinking about my time in the Marines and the old rusty stuff I found around my duty stations. I found a pair of M1 Garand en bloc clips, a spent 45-70 cartridge and a spent 30-40 cartridge. I also found what I think are blank cartridges for 30-06 and 30-40. Even found a 30 cal steel penetrator core and something that looks like a short 50 BMG cartridge. Oddest item is a dog tag I found at an Okinawan beach. That tag had the old serial number system.

Anyone else find anything interesting?

[cruddymutt]

While in Iraq in 95 I found an AK with the wood rotted in the middle of the desert and many Sabot rounds. Recently I found an SKS stripper clip in the middle of nowhere. No brass no targets just a lonely ol stripper clip.

[Milsurp Collector]

[Divernhunter]

That short 50cal round was probably a 50 Spotter/Tracer round for a recoilless rifle(I think 105-106mm). They had a seperate barrel mounted on them and the spotter/tracer round was loaded to give the same tregectory(sp). I have one in my collection and there are commercial rifles chambered for it.

[Bhobbs]

The short .50 BMG was probably a M48 spotter tracer. It was used on a 106mm Recoiless rifle and matched the trajectory of the round so they shot off the M48 to see where the 106 round would land. When the M48 hit is flashed and made a puff of smoke to make it easier to see.

[smle-man]

Found a bunch of these on a dry lake bed in the Mojave; the .50 cases are WW2 vintage. It looks like the lake bed was an MG range, maybe an aircraft gunnery range?

also found a fired 5 in 1 UMC blank in Hart Park Newhall, a fired .44 Colt case and a .40-72 case in the same place in the desert. Also an unfired .22 long round laying in the desert. At Ft. Bragg NC I stumbled onto a overgrown area with 5-6 ammo cans loaded with .30 blanks on Browning 1919 links. At Ft. Carson the downrange area was full of empty M1 clips. This was 1981.

[jigenax]

The short .50 BMG was probably a M48 spotter tracer. It was used on a 106mm Recoiless rifle and matched the trajectory of the round so they shot off the M48 to see where the 106 round would land. When the M48 hit is flashed and made a puff of smoke to make it easier to see.

Oh cool! I have a 9mm Mk217 Mod 0 SMAW spotting cartridge that does the same thing. I often wondered if my short 50 had the same purpose. Thanks for the info!

[knucklehead0202]

why did that russian t-34 tank have german markings? reenactment piece that lost it's way?

[jigenax]

why did that russian t-34 tank have german markings? reenactment piece that lost it's way?

I noticed that too. Even the fellow sitting in the tank in the last video was wearing a German field cap.

[a1c]

Some day I'll post some of the WW1 and WW2 stuff my French buddies dig up over there. Helmets, ammo, dog tags, bayos, and of course a lot of (often unexploded) ordinance.

[NaughtyMonkey]

I watched a show on the history channel that said some Germans stole and used some T-34's. From far away they looked friendly.

[jamesob]

there is a guy on youtube who finds some amazing stuff. his name is dirtydiver or thedirtydiver need to check his videos out.

[Milsurp Collector]

why did that russian t-34 tank have german markings? reenactment piece that lost it's way?

I noticed that too. Even the fellow sitting in the tank in the last video was wearing a German field cap.

You've heard of a Russian Capture K98k? That's a Nazi Capture T-34. The Nazis used captured equipment throughout World War II.

Period photo of Nazis using a captured T-34


Nazi using a SVT-40


Nazi with a M1 Carbine


Nazis using a Sherman Firefly


Nazis using a British Churchill tank

[NaughtyMonkey]

You got to do what you got to do. I'm sure we used some captures weapons too.

[jigenax]

You got to do what you got to do. I'm sure we used some captures weapons too.

Very true. There's something poetic about using a captured weapon against it's former owners. Plus for the Nazis after 1943, using captured gear would have been good way to shore up short supplies and replacements.

I recall a chat with a Vietnam Marine who loved using captured grenades against the VC. But he stopped after the VC got smart and started leaving behind grenades with zero second fuses.