i came across a 60mm mortar round in a scrap yard near by but i am unsure if it is live or not (i hope it isnt or i have troulbe on my hands!) the top of the fuze is gone leaving half of the silver part and the bottom primer seems to have been hit BUT it is quite heavy, any idea's? i'll attempt to get some pictures up. here's a picture or one off the internet.

Well, don't put it on a bonfire !

Be VERY careful indeed if you've 'adopted' this item, 5-0 Duce !! The provenance is unknown, it could be an illegal vet bring-back which has been quietly dumped.

Deactivation of a mortar round usually involves removing the fuze and emptying out the filling. If only half the fuze remains, it doesn't sound good.

Two options :

a) Take it to the police ( and risk losing the item altogether )
b) Seek out a friendly registered firearms dealer, or militaria dealer who knows their stuff, and ask their advice.

But - be very careful with that thing !!

( Note : Where shells, bombs and ordnance are concerned, I'd really recommend dealing only with reputable dealers who sell certificated, deactivated items ).

__________________
"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

danke, when i say half the fuze it's hard to explain in the picture you see how it comes to a nice rounded point but mine is taken apart in the middle, and you can see partially inside, i cannot tell if there is anything in there but it's quite interesting, what scared me is when we (me and my friend) found it i made the mistake of saying 'let me see that' as he turned and THREW IT to me, i swear i thought i saw my life flash before my eyes! well i'll see what i can do about getting it somewhere! thanks alot

Always remember - military historian John Pimlott sat in his study a few years back, fiddling about with the fuze of a 'safe' 20mm round he'd found somewhere.

It exploded in his face and killed him.

__________________
"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

First a question? What color is the body of the round? Anything but blue is a major problem. Blue indicates a training round that is inert.
In any case, but particularly if it is not blue, I personally suggest you get rid of this round ASAP. If you are not aware of how it functions, the safety in handling it and, have uncertainty on its status (live or inert) then you are skating on very thin ice both safety-wise and legally.
On the legal side, anything not inert (eg live) is illegal to possess unless licsensed. It is a 10+ year federal sentence for possession if caught.
I suggest you turn it over to authorities as soon as possible. However, be forewarned, that you are likely in for a major anal response from the idiot savants that the powers-that-be send to deal with you. Expect them to want explainations in minute detal along with your ratting out anyone and everyone that has been within a mile of this thing since it was manufactured. They may even threaten criminal or civil charges. I would consult / retain a lawyer prior to calling them.
Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion and nothing in this statement is to be construed as an official statement from any government body.

yea dont worry about it i had a couple local dealers of miliary and firearms goods check it out they said that it's not acvite any more (thank God) and through some scrubbing on the rust you can make out a faint blue that it was (i assume) originally painted. but thanks a lot anyways!