In very general terms that is correct. The dismantling of any munition carries an inherent risk, even with the most basic of fuzes. The level of risk goes up correspondingly with different fuzes and how the munition has deteriorated. And the risk further rises the closer you get to the munition and the more you interact with it.
For some munitions there is a render safe procedure, which may be attempted. For some pieces this works well, for some it does not. Regardless, it is in nearly every case done remotely, because as your friend was trying to say, (in peacetime) no piece of equipment or property is worth a life. Anytime you attempt a render safe procedure you do it with the understanding that this interaction could result in detonation.
This does not mean that you simply detonate the item. There are numerous methods used to try and save property (protective works) to include building barricades, trenching, etc. There are also methods of attacking the munition to that it does not fully detonate, or detonates in a less violent manner.
There will be a large number of people that will read this that have done certain procedures on their own, without formal training, specialised equipment or designated areas. They are fools, and by their lack of understanding they risk themselves, their neighbors and family members and the future of the collecting community. Think of that the next time you see a post describing something that someone found dug or sea recovered and brought home, then posted asking what it is. First rule, if you don't know it, its condition and the hazards it represents (how can you know the hazards if you don't know what it is?) then you don't touch, don't move.
