Original U.S. WWII Inert 81mm M-56 Shell Presented for Production of War and Essential Civilian Products - “Memento of 1944”

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a totally genuine United States military WWII produced SHELL, M56, with no tail fin assembly of fuze, used as a presentation shell. The round still has a lot of the original OD green paint on the exterior, though unfortunately the stamped paint markings on the body have mostly worn away. Measures approximately 15 1/8 inches long.

Unloaded or dummy grenades, artillery shell casings, and similar devices, which are cut or drilled in an BATF-approved manner so that they cannot be used as ammunition components for destructive devices, are not considered NFA weapons. This example is in total compliance and is NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.

The M56 was the heaviest of the US military 81mm types used during WWII, with an overall weight of 16 lbs with a maximum range of 1,300 yards. The round was effective against both personnel and materiel in the field. It is used against dugouts, barricades, and underground structures where a mining action is desired. This shell is a much more effective one than the M45 due to the fact that it contains approximately 40 percent explosive filler as compared to 30 percent explosive filler of the M45. The greater the percentage of explosive filler, without sacrificing the penetrating ability of the shell body, the more effective is the shell when used for mining effect.

The shell has a presentation plaque reading:

U.S. 81MM M-56 SHELL
A MEMENTO OF 1944
IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
OF THE SERVICES OF
NICK MEO
ON THE PRODUCTION OF WAR
AND ESSENTIAL CIVILIAN PRODUCTS
MANUFACTURED BY
U.S. MACHINE CORPORATION
LEBANON, INDIANA

A great piece, ready for further research and display.