Redback Metal Detector Find

While messing around in the back yard my redback boot hooked on and unearthed the following:




This is a .50 caliber casing and from the head stamp is made by US firm Frankford Arsenal in 1941. This was used in the Browning M2 machine gun the common gun used on American fighter and bomber aircraft in WWII. What it's doing in my backyard in central Canberra is another question. I can only assume the elderly gentleman that previously owned the place had a collection of sorts but over the years cleaned out onto several rubbish piles that were removed just prior to me buying the place. There is still crap just under the surface.

It looks quite pitted in the photo but feels pretty straight. I am hoping the pitting in the photo is exaggerated by the blotchy appearance but I am sure there is a bit of degradation. The projectile end has been squished in on one side but I might be able to get it back into shape (now where did I put that .50 cal necking die). I guess I should try and clean it up and see how she looks.

Got to say I'm pretty rapped and I can see how you metal detector guys get your motivation. Heh, but who needs a metal detector when you have redback boots? .

Jon

That's so cool

Yeah the missus loves it. She's ex army so was quite excited by the find. I have a super cheapy metal detector that has leds on the front as an indicator so I might have a bit of a scout around the back yard now
Jon

I thought I would clean up the casing. Here it is caked in goop:



After about 12 hours it's looking a pretty green:



I rubbed the goop off with my thumb and the oxidisation came off quite easily leaving this:



Here's the other side showing the squished bit mentioned above:



The casing is pinkish as the goop has taken off the oxidisation but also an element of the brass such as zinc which leaves a really thin coating of copper on the outside. This will clean off with silvo etc. It's looking pretty good after the first effort so I coated it again to get the final oxidised bits off. There doesn't appear to be much if any corrosion so the splotchiness was an oxidisation pattern.

Jon