Bad Mortars?

[PyroFL]

Looking to see if anyone has seen this before.

I am hoping there ok as I have around 300 of them and never seen this before.

The plastic tops are popping right off easily from the mortar. Looks like the cardboard is pulling away from the cap on the inside where you can see the clay.

Very odd

The lift charge seem fine on the bottom it’s the tops.

[displayfireworks1]

When you use the term "Mortars" are you referencing a canister artillery shell? I suspect that is what you mean.

[jamisonlm3]

I'm thnking of a cardboard mortar you get ususally with cheaper ball shells, but that might not be it. Would you mind posting a picture of exactly what's going on? That would help greatly.

[Engineer Cat]

When you use the term "Mortars" are you referencing a canister artillery shell? I suspect that is what you mean.

Indeed he's talking about the plastic cap on some cans.

PyroFL the tube is called a mortar the ball shell or canister shell is the shell.

I've had those plastic discs that hold the fuse in place so you can properly load it into the tube on many different brands. I currently have these Pyro Diablo viper shells with them. They make no difference to the performance of the shell. I've shot shells with them removed.

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[Birdman]

I take those plastic caps off all of my shells. Nothing but litter if you ask me.

[PyroFL]

Forgive me on the terminology old habit of calling anything that shoots out of a tube a mortar. Which is a old family saying with everyone being X military.

The “canister shell” I’ve never seen the new caps pop of so easily before and before there were the caps I’ve never seen the inside of a tube look this way.

(Can’t post photos from my iPhone for some reason but I’ll try from a PC later)

The inside of the tubes for a lack of better term look old and discolored almost like there used. Whereas all the other ones I’ve ever seen or cut open before are all look clean and neat as they’re brand new.

With further investigation from a few of us we noticed the clay was holding perfectly well and after cutting off the wrapper off of quite a few of them it looked like the cardboard was holding its integrity.

So with that said we’re going to shoot them not unless anyone sees a problem with it here.

[PyroFL]

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@Engineer Cat

Ok, it looks about the same.

I never have had when pulling them out almost everyone pop apart. Then when looking inside it looked like they were used.

Yours look the same too ... never seen it before so was a little worried

Thanks for the photos!!

[BMoore]

I pull those plastic caps off. No need to spread hundreds of pieces of plastic around the shoot site. Some pop right off and some are glued in. What you see is normal. These are made with recycled cardboard and the fit and finish is not meant to ever be seen, especially since it reveals all the wasted space. So, don't expect it to be pretty in there.

[Jay_]

I’ve got a ton of old shells. Some are from the cap era and some from the pre plastic cap era.

Honestly the only thing that I ever worry about is if they have gotten wet.

I typically just give the the shake test to make sure that the lift is still granulated and not one solid piece. As long as the lift is ok then I just send it.

[displayfireworks1]

If I remember the story correctly, those caps were added so novice uses would know no to load the shells upside down. If I remember this correctly , when they first started to add the caps they did not increase the length of the fuse. Thus one particular popular brand had to recall many cases. The length of fuse that sticks out of the mortar did not meet the regulations.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I still have half a dozen of those cans. Totally useless without adding some extra fuse to them.