Greg Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Since the forum is still a bit quiet, here is one of my favorite 'oops' moments in collecting tho liven the place up some... Several years ago when still in the USA I came across an Inert training round for a M40 105mm Recoiless Rifle. The shell is about 1 meter tall with the projectile and cartridge crimped together. The cartridge is perforated to expel gases and the entire shell is painted in field colours with full markings and filled with sand for training purposes. This gives it a 100% 'real' look other than the stamped 'inert' label on the projectile head. There is no blue training tip to these. It is similar to the below just in field OD green paint. The shell is a crowning achievement in my collection. I usually do not collect inert items other than in special cases (rifle grenades mainly) but came across this for the right price and fell in love with it. I acquired it while still at University and it stayed in my dormitory as a conversation item for quite some time. Not to be outdone, I once had placed the shell in the trunk (that is boot for you Brits) of my car to transport with some other military items, some helmets, jackets and misc. stuff. It was a regular thing for my car to often have an assortment of items that turned it into a rather odd non-armoured APC! But being the military buff I often forgot where everything was and exactly what was in my car. I also liked to fuck with truck drivers and others on the interstate and kept a collection of various sized stuffed penguins in the car which I would often adorn in combat gear and seatbelt into the vehicle for a good laugh. So one day in the summer of 2002 I am asked to go pickup a friend at the airport and I say, 'sure no problem' and hop in the car and off I go (yes you see where this is going). The local airport is a small international airport near a rather important nuclear reactor, it also is a Air National Guard Reserve Base, home to several C130 Hercules aircraft used for Special Forces SIGINT work. I get to the airport and being post-Sept 11th and in light of the above, machine gun toting guards search every car before you may park. At which time... yes.. OOOPS I remember what is in my trunk. So I pull up to the guard and in the nicest manner possible explain, 'yeah hi I am a military collector and please do not be alarmed by the helmets, equipment, camo and rather massive anti-tank shell in my trunk, it is inert so please don't shoot me...' So the guard gives me a puzzled look, asks me to pop the trunk and takes a look. Sure enough he pokes around an assortment of militaria and large stuffed penguins dressed like Rambo, glances at the shell and figures 'hey that is pretty cool' and with a wave tells me to have a nice day and to park anywhere I wish.... and that is how I avoided a free trip to GITMO. Moral of the story... well there is none but it is 100% completely true! 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Andrew Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Hi Greg, I know the feeling, I have a similar oops moment. About 20 years ago when I first opened the shop I had been to an Antique fair when I bought two de-act rockets about the same size as the ones in your picture. I decided to keep one for my collection and take the other to the shop to sell. I parked my car outside the shop and decided it might look a bit odd trying to carry a rocket along the street so decided to try to casually hide it under my jacket which in all probability made it look even more suspicious. I took the rocket into the shop locked up again then went back up to get my car. When I walked around the corner I saw the street had been cordoned off and police were everywhere!. I went to walk towards my car and a burly police officer grabbed my shoulder. He said where are you going, I said I'm going to my car that's it parked over there. He said Oh it is is it? at this point it clicked with me and I said it's the Rocket is it? I explained the situation and he told me that somebody had seen me getting out my car and trying to hide the heavy rocket under my jacket. They then went to look in my car and saw another rocket in the back seat! Apparently luckily I had got back to the car in the nick of time as the bomb squad were on there way from Glasgow Airport to do a controlled explosion on my car! It was also the same day when the Duke of Edinburgh was visiting Glasgow. The moral of this story is never carry Rockets about in your car and try to hide them under your jacket!, if it had happened these days they would have probably shot me and asked questions later! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 They probably would have shot you! If not that still have exploded the car, they seem to do that for fun lately. A Collector here in Scotland recently got in trouble because he was mailed a deact hand grenade for his collection. It seems Royal Mail Xray scans packages!!! and saw it, called the bomb squad, control exploded the package then charged the poor man with obtaining explosive..... bah! I carry business cards identifying me as a collector and what I collect. It is handy for when I meet good sources but might (HUGE might) help to explain if I ever am in a sticky situation with my collection. In your case Kenny you would HOPE people could figure you are parked next to a militaria shop and entering it with militaria but I suppose the ever alert Glasgow public did not notice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted December 26, 2022 Share Posted December 26, 2022 Der Militariasammler steht mit einem Fuß im Gefängnis - militaria collectors stand with one foot in prison 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gildwiller1918 Posted December 26, 2022 Share Posted December 26, 2022 Shhh Fritz, don't say it too loudly... 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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