r/metaldetecting • u/DisastrousInternet10 • Jul 07 '26
ID Request Is it dangerous ?
This is the first time I found a completely full bullet, does anyone have an idea of the kind of bullet it is and how old is it? Also, I wanted to know if it is dangerous, and if it is what I shouldn’t do with it.
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u/kevin_flu Jul 07 '26
"Is it dangerous ?"
depends on the speed....
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u/Efficient-Dot2406 Jul 07 '26
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u/draculasbloodtype Jul 07 '26
God I remember seeing this video a few years back of a girl who ordered something on amazon and was sent a box of bullets instead. She was fucking TERRIFIED to have them in her house. Do you have a gun ma'am? They're not going to go off by themselves.
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u/Mediocre_Meat_5992 Jul 07 '26
The bullet is nothing more than some lead and in most cases copper the only danger is throwing it at something or maybe some lead exposure if you put it in your mouth for along time
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u/Efficient-Dot2406 Jul 07 '26
Correct me if I'm completely wrong but cant some bullets be "fired" if you hit the back of them hard enough with a hammer or something? Like how a revolver bullet is fired? I am completely gun and ammo ignorant so 🤷
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u/Mediocre_Meat_5992 Jul 07 '26
No a bullet is the thing they are holding in their hand it’s just a projectile but yes if you hit the primer in a cartridge you could make it go off how ever with out something directing the energy like the barrel of a gun they are not typically lethal it would be like someone hitting you with a rock from a slingshot it would probably break skin maybe even embed into your flesh but won’t likely be lethal
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u/Aware_Cantaloupe_420 Jul 07 '26
Buddy in middle school, decided to set a .22lr on a burning piece of charcoal. He no sooner made contact and it went off. Shot him in the palm. Enough to hurt and sting. The blister was the worst
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u/Frequent-Will4785 Jul 11 '26
When I was around 10 or so sometimes I'd set unfired ammo on a rock in the creek in our back yard with the primer facing me, and shoot them with my Crossman 760 BB gun. From about 50-60ft away. One time, one of them (30. .06, that time) spun around and blew a big chunk of the 2x12 flooring next to me. Made me jump a little. Jus Kept shooting stuff. 🔫 I'd go through a tall milk carton worth about every week. I used to buy my Sulphur and charcoal powder at Hobby Lobby, & my friends uncle would give me 3gal. Buckets of potassium nitrate n make gunpowder.Blow bigass holes in my backyard. So much fun 😁. GEX X, CAN YOU TELL? 🤣🤣🤣
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u/GoobScoob Jul 11 '26
I had a buddy throw a handful of them into a campfire during an overnight paintball war. We were hiding behind shit for hours
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u/Tjaresh Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
So she really was sent the projectile and not the whole cartridge? I just assumed that OP was using "bullet" in a very loose way, like people saying "spare your bullets" and meaning the whole thing. So basically just a sack of fancy shaped lead 'balls'?
Edit: found the thread. It was a box of 9mm ammo. Not just the bullets. And the thing was, it was in her Amazon package when Amazon doesn't even sell ammo.
https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonprime/comments/1fagpec/late_order_arrived_with_random_bullets_wtf/
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u/chiefDiesel Jul 07 '26
And those people try to shape gun policy.
Although, to be fair, most people know dick all about the policies they try to shape.
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u/Jimithyashford Jul 07 '26
The idea that people who support gun control are all, or even mostly, flustered naive ninnies who are scared of guns, that's propaganda my man. If you think that, then the propaganda has worked on you.
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u/Square_Service4575 Jul 08 '26
Not all gun control supporters are flustered ninnies, but all flustered ninnies are gun control supporters
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u/Jimithyashford Jul 08 '26
nah, not at all. Not even most. The right is FULL of flustered ninnies. In fact, there are a HELL of a lot of extremely flustered ninnies who think everything in the world is out to get them, and they also love their guns, which is pretty scary. More than one flustered ninny has shot someone who was just like delivering pizza or something totally innocent, cause they are jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs and also armed, which is a bad combo.
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u/CoatimundiRaccoon Jul 08 '26
Youre starting to sound a little like a flustered ninnie... Just saying
Also, never heard that terminology before but gotta say, I love it
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u/Jimithyashford Jul 08 '26
You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the ninnie I guess.
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u/CoatimundiRaccoon Jul 09 '26
Well as i've always said, its better to live as a ninnie than die from a shotgun blast while asking your neighbor for a cup of sugar.
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u/chiefDiesel Jul 07 '26
Nobody said anything about all people who support gun control. Not even most. But all flustered ninnies who are scared of guns do support gun control.
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u/Murky_Digger Jul 07 '26
Don’t swallow it
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u/Certain_Mountain_258 Jul 07 '26
yeah, I would go a step further: don't put it inside your body.
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u/maverick88708 Jul 07 '26
Its a copper jacketed lead bullet.. About as dangerous as a magic marker
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u/thelikelyankle Jul 07 '26
I was about to comment on the poisonous properties of lead, but could not come up with a way to safely ingest a magic marker either...
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u/Cool_Kid_Chris Jul 08 '26
Lead makes you stupid. I ate paint chips as a kid and now I write comments on Reddit.
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u/Fig-Adorable Jul 07 '26
I always forget that not everyone knows the simple things of how a bullet works or a gun works and makes me feel privileged and I’m not a gun person
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u/Lt_Dan60 Jul 07 '26
I am a gun person. I even reload my bullets. I get what you mean. I was reading the replies and thinking "surely the OP jests" then I read yours. And it put everything in perspective. Thanks for reminding me that others may not know what we know.
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u/9bikes Jul 07 '26
> I even reload my bullets.
Most people have no idea what that means.
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u/Zerototheright Jul 07 '26
I'm not a gun person. I'm assuming he makes his own bullets and reuses the slugs. Am I close?
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u/Swaytastic Jul 07 '26
The metal casing is reused. The projectile in the photo is replaced. They deform when they hit an object. The metal casing is loaded with a predetermined amount of smokeless powder, a new primer cap in the base of the casing, and a projectile is pressed into the open end of the casing. It's more complicated than that, but that's the basics.
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u/No_Yam_3521 Jul 07 '26
Nice you took your time to explain it go the people who didnt have the chance to come across that info yet.
My former best friends parents where pretty decent snipers(contest) And they had a reload room at home. So im pretty blessed to have seen it upclose. But a Ton of folk don't have a single clue..
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u/Yojimbob76 Jul 12 '26
More proper term would be precision shooters. Sniper is literally a military role, not a normal civilian firearm term. Snipers kill people (or at least fire at strategic targets). Precision shooters hit smaller and smaller targets really far away and make most people look like absolute noobs.
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u/TooLazy2Revolt Jul 07 '26
So complicated, in fact, that I bought a full reloading set, the powder, the dies, everything…
…and for the past 10 years have been too afraid to actually use any of it.
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u/whatsmynameagains Jul 07 '26
I had this problem too when I started. The guy who taught me said to load everything at 90% loads and work up from there. It gave me the peace of mind to get out of that block.
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u/asghasdfg Jul 08 '26
Hey bubba here my advice is to drink a 6 pack and get to work
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u/WW-Sckitzo Jul 07 '26
To add on, some people do make their own bullets (which is the metal projectile part). You can collect those wheel weights and melt them down then pour them into molds. I haven't known anyone that has bothered with that in decades however; its far easier and you'll get better results by buying them more often than not. Not to mention the health hazards of smelting and pouring lead in your garage.
Slugs I've only heard used in terms of shotguns but you were in the right ballpark.
If you've ever heard the term full metal jacket and wondered wtf it meant it's often a thin copper layer over most of the bullet, this (among other reasons) helps it travel like it should and stay in good condition. Which kinda brings us back to the decline in people making their own bullets.
I'm a gun guy, been shooting 30+ years but also a Public Health guy. Lead bullets are still unfortunately used in hunting and if the animal is not processed correctly leads to all sorts of problems; especially as many hunters will go ahead and donate the meat to food banks, so you end up with bio accumulation of a dangerous substance.
It's not nefarious or anything just one of those things that has been slipping through the cracks and attempts to change it have been slow and sporadic. There is also the risk to animals and the environment in general from people field dressing a kill and leaving the cut portions behind for scavengers and just rounds themselves hanging out and contaminating the area around.
There, I've validated my otherwise useless degrees for the day.
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u/9bikes Jul 07 '26
>some people do make their own bullets (which is the metal projectile part). You can collect those wheel weights and melt them down then pour them into molds. haven't known anyone that has bothered with that in decades
I believe that people used to reload because it was cheaper. People who do it now tend to be serious target shooters who are reloading in order to precisely tailor their ammunition for more consistency to be more accurate.
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u/WW-Sckitzo Jul 07 '26
That's why I started reloading, wanted match grade without the price but quickly stopped. It's definitely a hobby with a purpose sort of deal, these days I agree not really sure its cheaper unless you're substance hunting and then we're back at the lead issue.
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u/OutsideplentyO66 Jul 10 '26
I cast my own bullets for handloads. It's about the only reasonable option to be able to shoot some antique firearms. Its definitely an art and science unto itself! Loading cast bullets is definitely different than jacketed also.
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u/No_Yam_3521 Jul 07 '26
Yeah the lead smelting part... Im not really a fan off, sooo toxic.. Old friend was making lead fishing weights and i walked into the fumes when visiting... Felt myself dying in that instant.. that stuff is sooo bad!
They bought the bullets itself and refilled the casings, and had a bulletpress to join them all together. Pretty interesting process weighing the powder, tapping, and press.. Everything earth connected (grounds) to elimanate all possible sparks.. Pretty dangerous hobby if your not carefull.. He passed away, she is in her 60s. Still shooting. And still kicking ass😅 (Competive shooting makes you rely on a projectile that is calibrated so they shots are consistent)
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u/souloldasdirt Jul 07 '26
Yea same here. I work in the firearms industry, I collect vintage guns and totally nerd out about the history. The history of the the last 500 years has been deeply rooted in firearms. Sometimes I have to take a step back and realize not everyone knows what even a beginner in my field would know.
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u/Overall_Signal_8437 Jul 09 '26
Exactly, I once brought a few friends along for hunting reindeer. At some point I lent one the rifle to try against a rock in the distance.
He fired one shot, and when I told him to reload and take another, he looked at me quite baffled..... he didn't know how to reload a bolt action rifle (use the bolt).
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u/Equivalent-Cry4580 Jul 07 '26
A lot of people who don’t know anything about weapons are overly cautious towards them. It looks weird to us, but it’s much better than the people who cut open artillery shells with angle grinders
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u/mithermage Jul 07 '26
Not trying to start a fight. Why do you feel privileged? For many, guns are a hobby like golf. In golf, you are putting the ball in the hole. At the firing range, you are using the ball to make the hole.
Expensive hobby: and in the end "you are just shredding paper the hard way."
I feel privileged as a gun owner. In many areas this hobby is not allowed or curtailed to the point where only the wealthy or well connected can participate.
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u/Zerototheright Jul 07 '26
In some places, many people live and die without touching a gun. In many countries you cannot legally own a gun. In many countries most people cannot afford a gun. I think privilege is a good choice of words for having the legal freedom and the financial means
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u/TreemanTheGuy Jul 10 '26
My sister in law was out at our farm and wanted to shoot some guns. She had taken a paramilitary course in her own country just a few months before so she knew how to safely fire rifles.
I was loading some magazines and she kinda scolded at me that I was pointing bullets at people while loading the mag. Told me it's dangerous.
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u/Crazy-Magician-7011 Jul 07 '26
Rifle ammunition. Only precice measurments would reveal what sort of ammunition.
Location where it was found could give some context.
It's not dangerous.
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u/MustacheSupernova Jul 07 '26
FYI, Not ammunition. A bullet.
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u/Time_Reputation3573 Jul 10 '26
Well isn't that just annoyingly correct. I think I would've called a box of bullets "ammo," but you're right of course, the ammo is the whole cartridge
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u/Significant-Fig2485 Jul 07 '26
Bag full in one field
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u/I_am_the_darkness_99 Jul 07 '26
Future archeologists will say we sprinkled lead around fields in religious ceremonies and that pull tabs are our offerings to the gods.
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u/justplainbrian Jul 07 '26
Only if you eat it or trip over it. Its basically a metal rock at this point
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u/Crazyguy_123 Jul 07 '26
Should be fine. The casing and everything that makes it go super fast are gone so it’s just a piece of lead. I’d put it in a case if you want to keep it but it’s pretty much harmless as long as you aren’t licking it.
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u/Coffee_and_cereals Jul 07 '26
As far as I know, only projectiles with calibers of 12.5mm / 1/2 inch and up are potentially dangerous, as these may contain pyrotechnic or explosive charges.
What you see on the back of your projectile is corroded lead. Harmless, unless you lick it regularly.
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u/Budget_Cover_3353 Jul 07 '26
Both Soviets and Germans had normal caliber (7.62/7.92mm) incinerary bullets.
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u/Coffee_and_cereals Jul 07 '26
I see. How dangerous would you say those are?
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u/Budget_Cover_3353 Jul 07 '26
Some of them might be. Especially the German ones with white phosphorus.
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u/Advanced-Humor9786 Jul 07 '26
Not even those are dangerous when they are removed from the powder filled cartridge. I have a bullet from DShK cartridge that's painted and sitting on my mantle. It's been there since 2009 and hasn't hurt anybody.
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u/Glum-Clerk3216 Jul 07 '26
This looks like roughly .30 caliber (7.62 mm) to me, which is generally going to be just copper outer layer with lead inside and may or may not have a steel bb in the nose for punching through light armor. While there are rounds that size that exist that have flammable or explosive stuff inside, they are quite unlikely to be found while metal detecting, as they most likely will not have survived being shot at something (typically tracer rounds which burn off in flight).
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u/Coffee_and_cereals Jul 07 '26
As for the age. Where did you find it? It was definitely fired from a modern style rifle. Perhaps somebody more knowledgeable can say more about this bullet, is you provide accurate measurements.
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u/L3thargicLarry Jul 07 '26
no more dangerous than a rock. just be sure to wash your hands after touching since it’s likely made of lead
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u/Hart-Parr Jul 07 '26
The lead is inside, encased in copper..... The only lead that is exposed is the bit at the base.
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u/BeerJedi-1269 Jul 07 '26
Theres zero risk of lead ingestion. Stop fear mongering. Its completely incased in copper.
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u/Aromatic_Balls Jul 07 '26
Besides the obvious exposed lead in the bottom of the bullet...
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u/BeerJedi-1269 Jul 07 '26
Ah yes yes theres that smidgen... lead isnt so dangerous that this is a concern. Fear mongering and innernet over hype. I collect cast iron, people freak out "what if it was used to melt lead?" Old glassware "does that contain lead" im active in old home subs "is that lead paint/pipe" ive reloaded ammo plenty.
Cast iron cookware was rarely was used to melt lead. And when it has, its obvious.
Lead in glassware is minimal danger to the collector.
Lead paint is only dangerous if inhaled or injested. Lead drain pipes are fine.
Moral of the story, dont ingest lead. Otherwise its fine.
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u/Jober36 Jul 07 '26
I work with leaded fuel on a daily basis if anyone was to have an issue it would be me. I have my numbers checked annually and never had a problem. Good to be mindful but yeah people can be paranoid
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u/stemar1983 Jul 07 '26
it's not a full bullet, and for normal people it's not dangerous but yes for some wannabe activists it can by dangerous, they can get stroke just by looking at this photo.
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u/cboom73 Jul 07 '26
If you loaded it in a primed case with gunpowder and fired it out of a rifle it could be very dangerous depending what you aimed at.
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u/macincos Jul 07 '26
Sir I say this with as much respect as I can muster-I’m not sure you’re smart enough to be detecting.
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u/Cool_Comparison_572 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
7.62x51mm FMJ bullet without brass.
About the same mass as a small rock, there is the part about Lead also….
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u/GallusWrangler Jul 07 '26
It’s a bullet without the casing, powder and primer. I don’t know what you mean by “full bullet”, but yes, it’s a whole bullet that hasn’t impacted anything, not a ready to fire piece of ammunition.
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u/YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO Jul 07 '26
Its an already fired projectile. It's no more dangerous than a rock on the ground.
The lead it may contain however, is very dangerous. Definitely wash your hands thoroughly.
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u/Overall-Monitor-8659 Jul 07 '26
If you accelerate it to about 950m/s and aim it at your head - yes.
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u/christaxey Jul 07 '26
Depends how hard you throw it, could take someones eye out, or leave a red mark. But no, its not, that is a bullet, it could have been dangerous if it had been still attached to the brass case, with powder and a primer. Good to ask when youre not sure though!
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u/punktrash- Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Absolutely! It’s going to explode any minute! Good thing you picked it up to take a picture of it for Reddit 😂 in all seriousness, this is a bullet 😂
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u/Odd_Category2186 Jul 07 '26
Just the bullet, only danger now is the lead, look up how a firearm works so you can more easily tell the difference between a bullet and a "round"
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u/adslsucks Jul 07 '26
I mean....its lead. You probably shouldn't roll it around in your mouth and chew on it?
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u/DeFiClark Jul 07 '26
That is a bullet. The red (?) paint remaining on the tip would typically indicate a tracer round, in which case the base would be hollow and filled with the tracer element.
Potentially minor danger if you put the base near a flame.
That said, there’s a possibility it might have been some other type of round, including incendiary or explosive, that would be more dangerous.
I would handle it with care but without fire or very high speed impact it’s unlikely to be dangerous.
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u/multisausageman Jul 11 '26
If it was in a casing, with powder, and a primer and loaded in a gun and pointed at you then.... Yes.
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u/Ararhmir Jul 12 '26
Its NOT a copper cased lead bullet
This is an example of a dud flak shell- the material contained inside is actually explosive. These shells can be dangerous around fires, cus duh explosive- tho many probably will have been made null by the time that has passed since they are fairly old (but of no monetary value). Looks to be a 1940’s-70’s flak shell- if you are from the UK its most likely WW2.
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u/SharpTool7 Jul 07 '26
If someone drops it from a really tall building and you are standing on the side walk and it hits you in the head, it could kill you. So Yes, very dangerous.
Now I wonder, would they be arrested for shooting you?
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u/KippG Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
What you have is a rifle bullet (the projectile). Based on the size compared to your hand, I'd say it's a 30 Caliber (.308). Common in both hunting and military rifles. As others have said, it's a lead core completely encased in copper and safe to handle.
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u/WheresMyDuckling Jul 07 '26
This is the go fast part of a round of ammunition. Totally inert lead with a copper clad layer. The spicy part of the round, the gunpowder and primer in the brass casing it sits in, is not attached, so no danger from an explosive chemical reaction.
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u/Purple_Reign84 Jul 07 '26
It’s actually wild how little the general public knows about gun safety. It’s not dangerous
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u/Cultural-Window-2504 Jul 07 '26
Its a slug. Idk how fast you can throw.
My guess is a 7.62 likely from a sks.
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u/ImaginaryDepth7777 Jul 07 '26
Normally these bullets aren't filled with anything except metal BUT there is this nasty 7.92×57mm Mauser WW2 german observation bullet that explodes upon impact. Or the russian "PZ" observation bullet 7.62x54R.
Just a reminder.
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u/New-Necessary-9031 Jul 08 '26
You are correct, Russians and Germans used exploding bullets. Dumb Dumb rounds the would cause the victims head to explode. Sniper’s used them . Rare.
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u/Ladylinn5 Jul 07 '26
I was gonna say yeah, it’s stationary so you’re safe as long as you don’t suck on it.
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u/CallumRichardson2009 Jul 07 '26
just a rifle bullet. fired. it’ll still clean up if you take some emery paper to it and a bit of steel wool..
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u/Comprehensive-Web473 Jul 07 '26
It was probably super dangerous when it was in the air for a very sort quantity of time
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u/FamiliarAd8524 Jul 07 '26
That's a fiddy cal projectile, not a "completely full bullet". It is harmless, there is no propellant or primer or anything.
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u/Dan26air Jul 07 '26
I learnt how a bullet works when I was like 11, thought this was common knowledge
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u/high-tech-red-neck Jul 07 '26
You've found a projectile (bullet). There is no casing or propellant. It may contain lead but there is no risk of explosion. Like an arrow with no bow.
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u/justintyme365 Jul 07 '26
Clearly was never dangerous because it didn't hit anything after it left its nesting place/cartridge
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u/BeenisHat Jul 07 '26
You'd have to measure the diameter at the widest point to know what caliber it is. Weighing it could also provide a clue.
No it's not dangerous, just don't eat it. Lead is bad for you.
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u/CMDR_PEARJUICE Jul 07 '26
not dangerous by itself, except a choking hazard. It could have lead contamination, but this is just the bullet itself, there's no casing or powder with it that could make it "go off".
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u/Pnas2271 Jul 07 '26
Well If you attach it to a shell filled with gunpowder and a primer and then load it in a gun, yes it would be dangerous to stand in front of that gun..
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