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Depleted Uranium ammunition - UK Legal??

Quick question? Why would anyone want a geiger counter if you wernt in the habit of getting near nasty radioactive sources. I see several forum members have them, not expecting anything nasty to happen soon i hope?
I can see the need if its within your jobspec but otherwise cant understand the need unless its just something to collect. Not a dig in anyway, just a simple question as its never crossed my mind re owning one.

Andy
 
Nice one Rick, perfect answer. Just wondered thats all. I suppose its the collecting bug which is a serious disease to get. I recently bought on feebay an adjustable tap wrench. Dont really know why as i only have 3 taps for Mills bombs and its either 2 small or 2 big and is 14 ins in length so i really have no use for it other than its a nice bit of wartime engineering. Then of course theres all the other stuff!!!!

Andy
 
The more I think about all this,the more I wonder if a geiger counter might be a good buy for all of us,especially if you have old Soviet/Warsaw Pact
material in your collection.It might not be made of DU,but where was it stored before it came our way??? If it doesn't glow in the dark,or feel warm to the touch,you might not realise you've got a problem until you start growing another head !!!!!
 
Keeping my house a DU free zone ive had radiation sickness before ..it sucks
 
Why I own a geiger counter

I used to collect rocks, and I once had the absurd notion that a Geiger counter would help me find uranium minerals amongst the mine dumps in Cornwall and elsewhere. But in those days Geiger counters were very expensive, and I could not justify spending over 200 except possibly to help keep the family safe from nuclear fallout. Atmospheric tests were well and truly banned, and East-West relations were improving all the time.
So, with no chance of a major nuclear explosion, family safety was never a serious consideration. Then that Russian power station blew up ...
 
christhurston said:
On a completely different radioactive topic,I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that in the later stages of WW2,some,otherwise undetectable German landmines came with a bag of what I think they called "tarnsand".This was perhaps the only German army use of radioactive material (fortunately!!!) I'm guessing that after laying the mine the bag was emptied over the top,and would have needed some kind of radiation detector to to locate them later should that prove necessary.
Click to expand...
There are persistent stories (I believe originating in a postwar interview with Speer) that late in WW2 Germany processed some of the 1,200 tons of uranium ore, originally collected for their aborted atomic bomb programme, into AP cores for Pzgr 40 ammo in 50mm Pak 38 anti-tank guns (tungsten was in short supply). This was most definitely not depleted, being highly radioactive. I recall hearing at one of the ECRA International meetings a few years ago that such a core had been found.
 
Many thanks,Tony,I've not come across reference to these 50mm PaK AP
projectiles before,and I can't help wondering how one had been found ???
I expect many collectors have such items,and there are,I think,a couple on SA at this very moment.How would anyone know if they happened to have a "hot" one,the only concerns anyone has is that these things are free from explosive and pyrotechnic content.I doubt if at any stage other hazards are given any thought whatsoever. I've adopted a rather tongue in cheek attitude to this discussion up to now,but there are conceivably serious aspects to it all !!!!
 
I cannot vouch for the truth of the story but yes, if true it is potentially a serious issue. Fortunately, I understand that such rounds are supposed to be extremely rare.
 
Tony, by "highly radioactive", do you mean dangerous enough to have potential to cause serious effects immediately if you were to come into contact with the core, or potential to cause cancer etc. later in life?

I seem to have created quite a long thread here.
 
Falcon said:
Tony, by "highly radioactive", do you mean dangerous enough to have potential to cause serious effects immediately if you were to come into contact with the core, or potential to cause cancer etc. later in life?
Click to expand...
I really don't know. I don't know exactly how the ore was supposed to have been processed, how much radioactivity might result, or what its effects might be - except that it wouldn't be healthy to keep around.

We need someone with some specialised knowledge on the subject!
 
I've asked the question about uranium-cored Pzgr 40 ammo on the German wk2ammo forum, which specialises in German WW2 ammo of all calibres. However, no-one there has responded with any evidence that such ammo existed. The only definite statement is that Speer did release the 1,200 tons of uranium ore for use in ammunition.
 
Natural uranium

I have a small piece (about 6 oz) of pitchblende (uranium ore) that came with my Geiger counter. It was sent by post. The experts who sold me the instrument obviously did not regard the pitchblende as unsafe.

In the absence of anything radioactive, my instrument registers counts at about one beep every four seconds. This is background radioactivity from cosmic radiation, radon and natural radioactive stuff in the Earth.

When it is 10 inches away from the Geiger counter, radiation in the pitchblende sample is lost amongst the background. At 8 inches it is just noticeable. At 3 inches it is about equal to background. And if the sample is pressed against the instrument, the count is quite rapid: 10-12 times background.

Conclusion? Radiation from a small piece of natural uranium in the same room is lost amongst the background. But there is a health risk if you keep it close to you for a long time.

For a change of subject, consider the adverse effects on your brain by having microwave radiation blasted through it every time you use your mobile phone. But that's another story ...

Tony
 
I have found this thread quite interesting and thought provoking. Heres a scary thought that occurred to me...

As PZGR40 points out on page 2, when a DU round penetrates a tank, it will create a cloud of radioactive dust which will probably cover everything inside. Whilst this may present a hazard to looters, what about the items that they take from the wrecks and sell on to collectors. It is conceivable that firearms, webbing, personal effects and valuables stolen from Iraqui wrecks could have radioactive residues. Perhaps a geiger counter might be a good investment for modern collectors after all!

If this is nonsense, feel free to say so and put my mind at rest.
Fred
 
Lou said:
Such a beautiful round,I sure wish I knew where to get one!!!!!! The ex wife has my balls so no worries about that!!
Click to expand...

Hahaha, good one... :tinysmile_fatgrin_t
But then... you, Rick and I know the answer to your question to be: "Japan".

O.k., all the others: sorry for the inside joke. Surely Rick and Lou got it :xd:

Cheers,
Olafo
 
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Take a look here folks, it gives a "understandable" explanation about radiation. DU emits alpha radiation.

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Regards, DJH
 
Alpha radiation shouldn't be dangerous unless you swallow the source. Alpha particles only travel about a foot in air and cannot penetrate a sheet of paper.
 
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