molten metal

[jimmytx3]

hi all, i have just recently returned from the Falkland islands on a visit to the old battlefield of mount longdon ( i served in 3 para during the conflict) and this is our mountain, and while i was walking amongst the rocks i found this piece of molten metal, i was wondering if anyone could identify what it is,
Is it? what is left of a heat round after hitting rock, a 66 law, i have fired them but never seen what is left at the other end,
hope you can help. bye for now jimmy
i have enclosed a photo of the rocky terrain it was found amongst.

[spotter]

Hello Jimmy welcome to the site. sory but .I have no idea on this its a difficult one

[jimmytx3]

thanks anyway, something might turn up.

[waffenamt]

Great pics Jimmy.
I would agree with you thats its leftover from a HEAT round.

cheers

waff

[jimmytx3]

thank you for your reply, i thought it might be, just wanted confirmation, have a nice Christmas

[waffenamt]

Hi jimmy,

did you find owt else on your trip to the Falklands?,i would love to have had a look around the old battlefields like you did.

cheers

waff

[jimmytx3]

yes, just pieces off shrapnel, couple of british 7.62 cartridges, trip was mainly to see mount longdon, i was quite badly wounded there, and just wanted to go there and pay my respects to the lads who never came back.

[Chris 42 RQ]

Your molten metal lump may well be part of a HEAT round but it is not the business end or "core" of the round.
On striking the target a "stand off" fuze "spits" a fierce flame /detonation wave into the Copper cone of the shaped charge (the explosive charge is contained behind the "Copper" liner) and when this charge is ignited the explosive force "inverts" the Copper cone turning it into a super heated steel cutting flame along with a Copper Slug that exits the steel plate on the other side of the target, these "slugs" can sometimes be found a long way from the target, a typical LAW 66 Slug would be about 2" inches long and about 1/2" diameter and would resemble a rod that had been taper turned on both ends but at different angles.
Sadly I do not have any photographs of these "Slugs" as I swapped them before I got the digital bug !!
And of course at the moment they have a price tag attached for scrap value !:angry:

Hope this clarifies your lump of metals previous form !
Is it Aluminium or Lead ?
Hope this makes sense as I am not very good at explaining things.

And extremely well done for playing your part in British history-Bravo!

[waffenamt]

Nice one Chris on the extra info.I also agree with your comments to Jimmy at the end of your post as well.
I was a schoolboy when hostilities broke out and followed it on the news nightly after legging it home as fast as i could.

best

waff

[jimmytx3]

hi all, thank you for information, it is about 6 inches by 4 inches and about half an inch thick,
i think it might be made of aliminium, the argy were also firing these at us not sure what it is..it is not me in photo it is a member of my platoon,