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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Wolfala on April 05, 2006, 02:29:33 AM

Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Wolfala on April 05, 2006, 02:29:33 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/04/paperweight.explosion.ap/index.html

Exploding paperweight costs teacher his hand


VENTURA, California (AP) -- A teacher who kept a 40 mm shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.

The 5-inch-long shell exploded Monday while Robert Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class.

Part of Colla's right hand was severed and he suffered severe burns and minor shrapnel wounds to his forearms and torso, fire Capt. Tom Weinell said. No one else was injured. He was reported in stable condition at a hospital.

The teacher slammed the shell down in an attempt to kill something that was buzzing or crawling across the desk, said Fire Marshal Glen Albright.

Colla found the 40 mm round while hunting years ago and "obviously he didn't think the round was live," said Dennis


Now question - how do you just find a 40mm Bofors while hunting?
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: OOZ662 on April 05, 2006, 02:30:58 AM
Somebody likes using PTs to hunt deer? :D
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Russian on April 05, 2006, 02:36:05 AM
I also has 40mm live shell (I could hear powder inside) …but my logic clearly said – “throw that sh3t away, stupid” which I did….
Title: Re: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Tarmac on April 05, 2006, 03:12:18 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Wolfala
[url]Now question - how do you just find a 40mm Bofors while hunting?


I'd bet it was a 40mm grenade, like in the m203 grenade launcher.  They're just about 4 inches long, like the article says.  40mm Bofors would be quite a bit bigger than that.

Who knows what it was doing in the woods though.  I'd bet he didn't find it "hunting."
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: SuperDud on April 05, 2006, 03:31:19 AM
So did he get the bug?
Title: Re: Re: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Nilsen on April 05, 2006, 04:15:49 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Tarmac
I'd bet it was a 40mm grenade, like in the m203 grenade launcher.  They're just about 4 inches long, like the article says.  40mm Bofors would be quite a bit bigger than that.

Who knows what it was doing in the woods though.  I'd bet he didn't find it "hunting."


yup... alot bigger
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Furball on April 05, 2006, 04:23:58 AM
bug: 1 teacher: 0
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: VOR on April 05, 2006, 05:44:32 AM
Another "educated" idiot sorts himself out.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Gunslinger on April 05, 2006, 07:33:37 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Russian
I also has 40mm live shell (I could hear powder inside) …but my logic clearly said – “throw that sh3t away, stupid” which I did….


If it's anything like the M203 40mm it's dumb to even pick it up, throwing it anywhere would be your second mistake.  

in order to arm themselves they have to spin so many revolutions.  If by throwing it you tick off those extra clicks than BOOOM!
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: LePaul on April 05, 2006, 09:26:25 AM
A teacher.

From Kali-Fornia.

"Found" a 40mm shell.

I've read enough :)
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: john9001 on April 05, 2006, 10:40:02 AM
he's a teacher, he just taught his class a lesson.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: xrtoronto on April 05, 2006, 10:56:44 AM
next lesson:

Ancient Zen riddle, 'the sound of one hand clapping'.
Title: Re: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: x0847Marine on April 05, 2006, 11:22:17 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Wolfala
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/04/paperweight.explosion.ap/index.html

Exploding paperweight costs teacher his hand


VENTURA, California (AP) -- A teacher who kept a 40 mm shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.

The 5-inch-long shell exploded Monday while Robert Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class.

Part of Colla's right hand was severed and he suffered severe burns and minor shrapnel wounds to his forearms and torso, fire Capt. Tom Weinell said. No one else was injured. He was reported in stable condition at a hospital.

The teacher slammed the shell down in an attempt to kill something that was buzzing or crawling across the desk, said Fire Marshal Glen Albright.

Colla found the 40 mm round while hunting years ago and "obviously he didn't think the round was live," said Dennis


Now question - how do you just find a 40mm Bofors while hunting?


I got a call to meet some folks at the front desk... they found something "suspicious".

I was met by a 30 something and his old, I mean old, grandfather. Inside the bag were two live WWII era granades the kids found while looking through grandpas old war chest.

They wanted to know if it was ok use them as paperweights.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Suave on April 05, 2006, 11:51:26 AM
I'm surprised it didn't kill him, maybe it was old and deteriorated explosive.

I'm kind of reluctant about this but I'll go ahead and indulge in some "war stories". Years and years ago there was a place built out of tires and railroad ties used for mout training called Regansberg. A group of soldiers stacked at a doorway and the lead guy threw a frag in. The grenade bounced out and the solders all dropped on their bellies, the grenade exploded on the concrete just a few feet in front of the first guy, none of them were injured at all. Later I would read about the same thing happening in somolia. A couple years later a group of soldiers were walking in a line abreast and a grenade exploded at one soldiers feet, he absorbed the brunt of the blast and was killed instantly. The soldiers standing 20-25 feet on both sides of him were both knocked unconsious for minutes. They both suffered minor shrapnel wounds, some permenant hearing and vision loss. But it could've been much worse had they been standing closer, or had that one guy's body not been there to absorb the explosion.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Russian on April 05, 2006, 11:58:57 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Gunslinger
If it's anything like the M203 40mm it's dumb to even pick it up, throwing it anywhere would be your second mistake.  

in order to arm themselves they have to spin so many revolutions.  If by throwing it you tick off those extra clicks than BOOOM!


It was not for 203. This toy was older....and I'm sort of experienced with those toys. I found in Russia many things that EOD expert would not want to touch. Stupid me....
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on April 05, 2006, 12:59:39 PM
Even the firing cap is powerful enough to cause serious damage in most cases.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Lye-El on April 05, 2006, 01:15:58 PM
Many years ago I was stationed in Germany. On a "camp out" at Graphenwher .sp a friend and I dug up a dozen or so  rifle grenades. Most were rusted through but four or five were not in too bad a shape.

My friend wanted to keep those as souvenirs. They spilled out of his duffel when we got back to our base when his duffel was tossed out the back of a duece and a half. The SFC saw them, cleared the area and called the ordinance people who moved them out in a field and packed C4 and sandbags around them and blew them up.

I don't think the Privates bellybutton is right yet.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Yeager on April 05, 2006, 01:27:16 PM
I had an old neighborhood friend who at the age of 18, went with another friend out to the live fire impact range on fort lewis....apparently to look for cool military stuff that they could play with and harness the energy.  They found it.  My old friend found two 40mm grenades that had failed to detonate.  He, apparently, placed both rounds into a coat pocket and at some point attemtped to cross a small ravine out on the range by jumping across it.  When he landed on the other side, the jarring that occured by landing on the other side of the ravine did detonate both grenades simultaneoulsy.

He died insantly.

Was back in about 1978...maybe 79........made the evening news with Dan Rather.  Was pretty pathetic. The kid had a dad in the army and was infatuated with all things that went "boom"

Play with fire and you will get burned eventually.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: rogwar on April 05, 2006, 07:53:00 PM
Yeager I remember that episode...
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: wojo71 on April 05, 2006, 10:18:32 PM
back in '87 I was at N.T.C at ft Irwin after our excercises in the desert we had to 'police call' the desert (oh what fun!):rolleyes:  I did find 2 live (not fired,no fuses)105mm HE  artillery shells with powder charges,you shoud have seen the look on the NCOIC's face when I turned them In!,I was in Artillery so was not worried but the NCO was a supply guy and just went pale:lol

PS I still wonder how the Battery that lost them got by with it,we lost a xtra M60 barrel once and had to dig up every foxhole we dug in the last 4 days.:rofl
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Sandman on April 05, 2006, 10:24:59 PM
UXO is not to be toyed with.

Plenty of opportunities to find old ordnance around here.

http://www.uxoinfo.com/


Oh... and if you find one of these, don't touch it. Get the hell away from it... quietly.

(http://www.uxoinfo.com/uxoinfo/phototour/rockeye_pic3.gif)
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Gunslinger on April 05, 2006, 10:26:13 PM
Quote
Originally posted by wojo71
back in '87 I was at N.T.C at ft Irwin after our excercises in the desert we had to 'police call' the desert (oh what fun!):rolleyes:  I did find 2 live (not fired,no fuses)105mm HE  artillery shells with powder charges,you shoud have seen the look on the NCOIC's face when I turned them In!,I was in Artillery so was not worried but the NCO was a supply guy and just went pale:lol

PS I still wonder how the Battery that lost them got by with it,we lost a xtra M60 barrel once and had to dig up every foxhole we dug in the last 4 days.:rofl


one time we lost a tripod to a .50 cal because the field we were firing in caught on fire.  Somone grabbed the reciever and the barrol but neglected the tripod and his flack vest......somthing about chest high flames preventing him.....anyhow.  Fire burned out in a couple of days we had to hump back to that deffensive position wich was about 15-20 miles away from garrison camp.  We found the .50cal tripod right where it was left....spent the night and marched back the next day.  The Private had to pay the corps back for the flack vest though.  Big Green Weenie all the way.
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Pongo on April 06, 2006, 01:51:39 AM
are many FIBUA training areas called regansberg or just the one in Lewis?
Title: Exploding 40mm paperweight
Post by: Suave on April 06, 2006, 07:58:13 AM
The one on Lewis is the only one I know of.