Old Navy or artillery shell, info?

Poparelli

Poparelli

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Not sure if this is the right place but I'm hoping somebody here can tell me something about this. I acquired this shell today, from my late grandfather's possessions (he was a military collector) and I don't know anything about it other than it's damn heavy and he used it as a vase for some decorative plants for several years.

Sorry, cellphone pics are the best I can do right now.

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It's empty inside, no explosive or what I assume would have been a fuse nosecap. It stands approx. 20" high and approx. 6" diameter. The only markings are two stamps:

"D '11" on one side and "DX-73 I" on the other.

Anyone know what this is?
 
I agree, it looks like a 155. Meant to be HE by the profile and look. No paint so who knows what country. If I remember correctly, 155 weighed about 100 lbs when full so this will be a bit lighter. Weigh it and find out? 6 inches IS 155mm but it's a bit shorter than I remember at 20 inches.
 
Hi. Is the inside of the hole threaded? Threads would be for the fuse. No threads likely makes it a training projectile. I'm not seeing any sites with a definition of the 'D' numbers.
 
The hole is threaded. No markings on the base whatsoever; the "D" numbers are the only thing on it at all. Browningautorifle, maybe the lack of fuse accounts for the difference in length?

I don't have a scale but I'd estimate about 100lbs, compared to a container of lead shot that I know for a fact weighs exactly 101lbs.
 
get a hold of petrock you can pm him he works eod at pet, if he doesn't know then it's probably martian oh yeah you are sure it's inert right. cause a 155 would turn your house into a crater.
 
I'm definitely not looking to sell it, but out of curiosity does anyone know what something like this would be worth? I've seen various inert shells of all sorts and sizes at gun shows but never anything close to this big.
 
Structure looks very similar to a 3.9 " anti aircraft shell I have. Apparently made from steel tubing with the baseplate welded in. Must be some kind of corrosion inhibitor on it, since it looks so shiny.

Grizz
 
I am no steel expert but it looks machined. There's tiny grooves of ~1mm or less around the circumference, going down entire length, but they don't show up in the pictures. There's a lot of very light surface rust spotting that doesn't show up in the pics either.
 
I think it's the proper thing. It's shiney because it's been shone up. It's threaded for fuse and was probably never assembled. The length is unimportant because the one I had was much like that one but I never measured it for length. It was completely marked and painted. The fuse is somewhere between four and six inches long(ballpark) depending on what fuse. I think it will make a gorgeous doorstop until one of these sky-is-falling types calls bomb disposal on you. I would love it myself as it could join my 20 pounder and 40 Bofors and 6 pounder and...
 
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