A good question, but no simple answer.
An Xray will many times allow you to confirm the presence or lack of certain components. Key to this is that you have a detailed understanding of the appearance of a complete item, as it appears on Xray. What is the explosive fill on a Shinkle? How does that appear on Xray? Not just on Xray, but on your particular Xray and processing system.
Generally law enforcement bomb squads (as this was) receive very little training, if any, on explosive ordnance. Further, they have little available to practice Xrays on. Looking at an item this rare, how do you determine if it is live or not? Has anyone on this forum ever seen one on Xray? I see dozens of Xrays every day, recognizing a fill or lack of fill on an unfamiliar object in less than ideal conditions, then betting someone's life on it, not an easy task. Is the fill supposed to be a solid, liquid, powder? Are we looking through a half inch of steel? (an inch once you look through both sides)
I was asking if the item was in a location where it could be stored, and then a military team could be requested to take control and check/inert. The decision was no. Their call. They contacted me only for assistance in identification and potential hazards.
