Strange horseshoe metal objects

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#1

I have located the old Camp Wellfleet in Welfleet MA. I use my metal detector there and have come up with these strange horseshoe metal objects. I find them by the dozens. I will attach a picture so maybe someone can identify them for me. I have just begun to unearth objects on this site and it appears to be very promising. Yesterday i pulled three -50 cal bullets out of the ocean. They were still live and the powder inside still dry. Markings on them were SL 43. Made in 1943.

thanks for your help

please email me at blacksambellamy@aol.com if you know what this item is

#2

How big is this object? by the looks of the shot it looks like it could fit into the palm of a hand, probably.

#3

yes it would fit in the palm of your hand. They are all over this beach that was used for target practice between 1941 to 45

#4

I don’t know what it is. We have a shooting range here used from the WWII years (Naval training base) and there are tons of 50cal shells, etc. But I have yet to see that type of object.

#5

By the looks of it, the inside of the rim bit, looks like it slides onto or into sumthing. So you said these “strange” objects were found in a particular area? or were they scattered all over the camp?

#6

They are found everywhere on this one 1/2 mile area of beach. I found about 12 in 45 minutes and left a bunch more there. Some are buried and others are just washing in with the waves fully exposed. Its the same 1/2 mile where i find the live shells, food tins and spent rounds so i believe they are from the old camp Wellfleet. The only other answer is that they came from an old shipwreck but i really doubt that.

#7

Well you said that they were used for target practice during 1941 tu 45, then i guess there is ur answer. I still reckon by the centre of this object that it slid into something or onto somthing, i was gunna say try finding some sort of larger object and see whether the horse-shoe object will actually slide onto it. u dont hav to but hey you never kno unless u try. well basically try anything at all.

#8

What is the diameter?

It appears to be designed to slip over the extractor groove or rim of a cartridge case of some sort.

Possibly a shipping protector to keep the primer out of contact with a transport canister or other source of unintended ignition, to be removed immediately before use?

#9

Place an object of well known size next to it? Example a pen does a good job. Old geology trick that works very well.

#10

I’d rather have an exact diameter. There’s a world of difference between, say, a 37mm and 40mm shell, but only 3mm in diameter which won’t be picked up from a pen, coin or any of the other usual reference objects.

The diameter that really matters is the internal diameter within the slide and the circular part which might tell us what it slipped over.

The open circular ends seem to go a little past the widest diameter, which suggests that the item had a slight “clipping” action to hold it onto something.

#11

I quote Rising Sun the object has nothing to do with horses it’s more likely to be used with artillery granades,as he said.
Valmara69

#12

The horse shoe looking thing might be a half moon clip for a larger artillary shell, to hold a round in place in a feed hopper or some other type of feed, or storage fixture.Or perhaps to protect the rim, and primer area of a Cartrige. Just a guess, but it looks like it was used on the 40 mm Bofors Rds used by the Navy. And the headstamp SL-43, is from Salt Lake Arsenal in Utah.

#13

This may be from a ammo shipping crate of a recoilless rifle.

Used to keep the rounds from moving form side to side in the wood crate.

One round would point to one end of the crate and the other to the other end.

This was before the paper tubes of WW II.