Teacher nearly loses hand from exploding paperweight

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Boult

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Snagged from Boing Boing: Teaches nearly loses hand from exploding paperweight:

Mark Frauenfelder:
Robert Colla, an instructor at the Ventura Adult Education center was hospitalized with severe damage to his right hand after attempting to squash a bug crawling across his desk with a paperweight. The paperweight, a 40-millimeter artillery shell he'd found years ago while hunting, exploded in the classroom, nearly severing his hand and giving him "severe burns and minor shrapnel wounds to his forearms and torso." Link


click the "Link" to read more and my word is... "duh!" but OUCH!
 
He was pretty stupid to keep a live shell on his desk!
 
That have taught him a lesson for having a live shell as a paperweight on his desk!
Pretty stupid of him!
 
but I wonder if the bug survived eh. (never know if it was cockroach eh)
 
Reba said:
He was pretty stupid to keep a live shell on his desk!
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Hi Reba,

He didn't think it was a live round and then boom !!!!

Good thing the kids at school didn't get hurt. That is what counts.....

I bet that 20 years from now these kids who are now adults are gonna have a good laugh at the high school reunion and tease the teacher about it in a good way.
 
Reba said:
He was pretty stupid to keep a live shell on his desk!
Click to expand...

At least he wasn't so bright to not have the 40mm shell checked
out first before possibly assuming that it was a 'dud'.... :crazy:
 
Heath said:
Hi Reba,

He didn't think it was a live round and then boom !!!!

Good thing the kids at school didn't get hurt. That is what counts.....

I bet that 20 years from now these kids who are now adults are gonna have a good laugh at the high school reunion and tease the teacher about it in a good way.
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It didn't clearly describe the shell in the article, so I don't know how "intact" it looked to the teacher. However, no one should just pick up any kind of ordnance they find in the woods without great care. Then, they should take it to an expert to check out.

The 40mm are often used for grenades and smoke. Here's what some look like:
 

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GEEZ! i bet he felt so stupid after this! HEH.. poor him but good for the students something for them to remember!
 
Boult said:
Reba, it said OLD 40mm artillery from past war not recent.. those pixs you shown looks new which is not "artillery" but grenade shell.
the article said he found years ago while hunting so it is old artillery shell

this one says 40mm artillery shell which is 13 cm long
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Thanks for the link. The other story didn't include the dimensions. That's a pretty big shell.

I didn't read in the story that it was from a "past war". What war would that be?

I don't know how many years equal "years ago"--three years, 13 years, etc. Regardless of the age, no one should ever just pick up a shell and take it home, assuming it is safe.

In this area (South Carolina) people are frequently finding old Civil War cannon balls, especially at construction sites. They are almost 140 years old but they are still treated as live ammo. The explosives demolition team is called in to handle them.

A few years ago, someone gave Hubby some large, old "souveneir" rounds for Christmas. They were in a wrapped box, so we didn't what was in the box until we opened it. Also, they had been shipped thru the U.S. Postal system (another no-no). Ack! Anyway, as soon as Hubby opened the package and realized what was inside, he carefully took the box outside and set it on the backyard picnic table. Then, he called the Naval Weapons Station, and spoke to the duty explosives ordnanceman. He told Hubby to carefully wrap the box and bring it to them at the station. They could check them out. So he did that. When he came home, he had only half of the number. The EOD verified that half of the rounds were "clear"; the other half were "live" and had to be left at the station for destruction. If you just looked at them, you couldn't tell the difference.

My point is, old or new, you can't be too careful. :P
 
He wasn't "stupid" because he found it thinking it was a used round. It was more of a mistake that anyone could make.
 
What do you mean by ‘used’? It wasn’t an empty shell casing, it was an unfired round. He should have assumed that it was a live round, not the other way around. When I discard old ammunition, I soak it in a bucket of water in the backyard for about 2 weeks. Then I dry it off and drench it in WD-40. Then I put it in several layers of plastic bags, and then I throw it in the dumpster. I don’t just assume that the ammo isn’t viable just because it’s been sitting around for awhile.
 
I actually find this alittle funny lol but in other words, he's pretty darn lucky to be alive.
 
Levonian said:
What do you mean by ‘used’? It wasn’t an empty shell casing, it was an unfired round. He should have assumed that it was a live round, not the other way around. When I discard old ammunition, I soak it in a bucket of water in the backyard for about 2 weeks. Then I dry it off and drench it in WD-40. Then I put it in several layers of plastic bags, and then I throw it in the dumpster. I don’t just assume that the ammo isn’t viable just because it’s been sitting around for awhile.
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We take our "old" or unusable ammo to the range for professional disposal (free of charge), or we used to take it to the Navy EODs to add to their "blow up" pile. Police departments will dispose of it for you, too.

I don't think you're supposed to put it in a dumpster.
 
Yeah...not supposed to put that in the dumpster.

I'd have to say this guy isn't too bright LOL. First, as Reba mentioned...finding it in the woods is never a good sign. Second, fired rounds will have sort of evidence whether it is fired or not (is it just the casing or is the pointed projectile still there...if its, it has not been fired). You can buy novelty rounds that have been drilled out with no powder and have the primer removed. The primer is the part in the back that causes the explosion. A Fired round will (in most cases) have a dent where the firing mechanism hit the primer. I know I have some knowledge in this area but this, to me, should have been common sense.

I don't live too far from Ft. Meade in Maryland and there has been many occasions where live ordinance is found buried and forgotten about. It usually turns up when building a neighborhood on an empty field (that used to be a firing range or something during WWI or WWII). When it turns up, it is a huge operation..shutting down highways and entire neighborhoods until its removed safely.

And Reba...on a somewhat related topic ;) An officer I work with told me about an officer that was with our department (unfortunately killed in the line of duty a couple of years ago) that he was in our parking lot and had cleared his weapon for inspection. He dropped a 9mm round on the ground and apparently it landed just right and it fired. Have you ever heard of something like this happening? I'm generally careful with my ammo, but will admit to dropping a round or two and was never too concerned about that round going off.
 
I dont understand why did the teacher brought it to school? Isnt it illiegal for bring it to school? :dunno:

I know it is forbidden for anyone to bring gun to school but the paperweight?? :dunno: I wonder about that...
 
Yes Taylor, Shotgun shells can do that too if dropped to the floor. It seems shotgun shells are much more easier to do that than bullets but still should be careful not to let any ammo roll off the table and keep the ammo in the box until time to load the magazine. With shotgun shells, you especially don't want them rolling or being near heat or anything like that because it will inginte.

I remember hearing about a man who's truck glovebox exploded because he kept alots of shotgun shells in the glovebox and his shotgun on the floor near his seat in the back of his truck, you know the folding seat to put the 12 ga. shotgun in there. You never want those shells or bullets or a handgun in a glovebox during the hot summertime months beside guns should be on you and not in the truck or a car and store your ammo in a cool part in your house also to prevent a house fire or an injury through 2 or 3 houses down the road.
 
Well...I've dropped a few rounds. The few times I've done it is under a stress fire course and end up racking a round during a tactical reload (Reba..don't smack me as this is the sin of sins in firearms LOL). Usually it will land in grass but the outdoor range has concrete pads. I never really thought of a round going off as I racked it out. Hmmm...
 
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