Do any of you know what this is??

[Master Dan]

Found this in a pile of old electronics from our Dojang fishing vesel last week. A 30 year vet in munitions and no one else here can figure out what it was possibly practice bomb or marine sonar device but it has USS markings and weighs about 25 pounds solid brass.

 

[Sukerkin]

Does it have any identifying marks, Dan? Something like a model number or a makers mark? Any attachment points or signs that some bits are missing?

 

[Ken Morgan]

Looks almost like one of those things ships use to drag behind themselves when they wanted to calculate their speed, but I've never been to sea Billy, so what do i know!

 

[Sukerkin]

I thought that it had the look of a log too, Ken; but I've not heard of a brass one before. After all, they are supposed to float .

 

[Master Dan]

Does it have any identifying marks, Dan? Something like a model number or a makers mark? Any attachment points or signs that some bits are missing?

The right tail fin has a circular stamp with QMA WN. counter clock wise then a USS clock wise but can't make out letters or numbers before that? It has a rectangular hole less than half way down from the nose about 3/16" wide by one inch and 3/16 long and about 2/3 down from top same location a round hole completly through the sloted hole about 3/8 inch diameter. Some say this could have been for a bullistic release from the plane or to atach some how?

The nose seems way to heavy to tow behind boat for speed youd have to do 60 to keep it level?

View attachment $Brenna and Duke 009.jpg

 

[Tgace]

If it was on a fishing boat, Id think its a down-rigger weight. Is there a threaded hole on the body for an eye-bolt attachment?

 

[Master Dan]

Tell you this its a great conversation piece at the resturaunt breakfast table we have table just for the local men called the BS table all subjects and language at best colorful at times. View attachment $Brenna and Duke 017.jpg

Went hiking with my 7 year old daughter a little gold prospecting alot of bears this time of season so I am choosing what fire arm to carry? The rifles 4570 Marlon with 500 grain load is just alot to carry all day. The S&W 500 pistol with 500 grain loads is good but my senior student lent me his S&W 460 with 400 grain loads. It was just to heavy to strap on my hip all day finally just slung it over head and shoulder very comfortable easy to pull out if needed. Both guns are a bit brutal to carry and shoot but if needed they really destroy the skull or gut the whole animal if you need to stop them.

 

[Master Dan]

If it was on a fishing boat, Id think its a down-rigger weight. Is there a threaded hole on the body for an eye-bolt attachment?

The hole is smooth no threads?

 

[Sukerkin]

A good way to be able to read the stamp more clearly is to do a charcoal rubbing of it - a soft pencil with some quality stiff paper will do.

Not having much luck with my web fu at preset - and I may well end up with an official knock at the door if I keep trying such strings that involve the word "bomb" and the "USS" TLA :lol:

 

[Carol]

A good way to be able to read the stamp more clearly is to do a charcoal rubbing of it - a soft pencil with some quality stiff paper will do.

Not having much luck with my web fu at preset - and I may well end up with an official knock at the door if I keep trying such strings that involve the word "bomb" and the "USS" TLA :lol:

Even better than a rubbing would be a tight close up of the logo with a digital camera....especially if you can place the camera on something solid (tripod? Box? Stack of books? ) while photographing the logo.

Once that photo is taken, the image can be run through a number of photo programs to try and enhance what is there....I'd be happy to do this gratis if such photo can be taken....I'm curious too!

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[Sukerkin]

:chuckles: I didn't want to suggest a 'better' shot in case it sounded rude :lol:. You'd be surprised how much detail you can get with the 'old ways' tho' - I've used it to pull details out of incised markings on many artefacts in my curatorial past.

 

[Carol]

:chuckles: I didn't want to suggest a 'better' shot in case it sounded rude :lol:. You'd be surprised how much detail you can get with the 'old ways' tho' - I've used it to pull details out of incised markings on many artefacts in my curatorial past.

That's amazing! I have to admit I have not done something like that quite so seriously....I defaulted to what I know.

(off topic). Very glad you mentioned a curator past, Suke....you just reminded me of something that I will post in the locker room


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[Master Dan]

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Even better than a rubbing would be a tight close up of the logo with a digital camera....especially if you can place the camera on something solid (tripod? Box? Stack of books? ) while photographing the logo.

Once that photo is taken, the image can be run through a number of photo programs to try and enhance what is there....I'd be happy to do this gratis if such photo can be taken....I'm curious too!

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Just happens to be on my computer desk this morning my wife came out and said you didn't dig that up with the gold detector yesterday did you??? I said no I think I may have slowed down a bit uncovering this shape?


View attachment $Bomb Stamp 001.jpg

 

[Master Dan]

:chuckles: I didn't want to suggest a 'better' shot in case it sounded rude :lol:. You'd be surprised how much detail you can get with the 'old ways' tho' - I've used it to pull details out of incised markings on many artefacts in my curatorial past.

Grave rubbings from old headstones using parchment paper are really nice from historical or other artistic reasons. The cemetary in Neworleans or other civil war era cemetaries are very nice.

 

[Josh Oakley]

My guess is the QMA stands for QuarterMaster's Association.

CO. Would stand for Company.

I don't think it's Naval. I think it is Army or Marines.

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[Carol]

This is interesting.

That's actually not "QMA", its "OMA". The "O" just has a surface artifact to it that makes it look like a Q.

OMA WN.

"WN." dates back to before state abbreviations were standardized by the U.S. Postal Service. "WN." was an old way of abbreviating Washington state.

So...


##########OMA WN. We're looking at something from Tacoma, Washington.


Digging further....

 

[Sukerkin]

We might be wrong but I can confirm that your observations and investigations match mine, Carol. Took a bit of digging on the WN abbreviation, tho' it was the second area to occur to me after Wisconsin :lol: .

I still reckon a careful charcoal rub will give us more details on the stamp - if only I could fly over and do it myself ... {looks around for people to make offers to pay the air fare ... :lol:}. The top arc is likely to be a company name I reckon - the "co." at the end rather suggests that to be the case at any rate.

 

[Sukerkin]

From the features of the artefact, it certainly looks as if it was mean to be mounted in some way, either to a rack with several others or solitary flush with some flat surface. It does look like a small practise round for ballistic drops from aircraft but the very smallness of it, suggestive of World War One hand dropped bombs, mitigates against that.

 

[Carol]

From the features of the artefact, it certainly looks as if it was mean to be mounted in some way, either to a rack with several others or solitary flush with some flat surface. It does look like a small practise round for ballistic drops from aircraft but the very smallness of it, suggestive of World War One hand dropped bombs, mitigates against that.

This was decorative. We are a wealthy country, yes, but I can't think of a time when we could spare the expense for a brass dummy ballistics.

 

[jks9199]

That's definitely a manufacturer's mark. I'm guessing from a company in WN, which I believe is Wisconsin.