Help with Id please

[spotter]

Need help with a positive ID please for lads at work, The item attached in the photos was found during a clearance task in the UK on a former RAF base later used by the army until recently.
Be appreciated if an ID can be backed up with images on this one.
thanks in advance
Allan

 

[weberoed]

IS that a heavy spring that can be seen through the ripped open end? How about some measurements and have you tried to X ray it?

 

[spotter]

Im still off work long term sick,,the pictures were sent to me to see if i knew what it was..and the clearance sections dont have xray facilities,to me it does appear to have a spring inside the crumpled end ,and the measurements going by the blurry ruler in the photo approx 19cm X 7cm

 

[EOD]

That is a BLU-97 variant. If it is life your people have a problem I think!!!!!
It looks like an inert version though.
The paint job looks degraded but you are lucky if it is a practice variant and there exist some with charges if I recall it right. US-Subs will tell you all about.

Here we get reminded about rule #1: never touch anything you do not know!

 

[spotter]

Thanks EOD thats a big help,ive just looked up the BLU-97 and it seeems to be it well a variant as you say,apparently it has traces of blue paint which has faded,, still as you say if you dont know dont touch

 

[US-Subs]

Just opened this up, I'll try and take some comparison photos tonight.

 

[US-Subs]

There are quite a few variants to the BLU-97, all used for training, practice, pattern testing etc. For the full up live item there are no major model variations to my knowledge other than the early fuze changes, but you can find minor variants in stabilization device (balute, RAD, etc). The EOD document on the BLU-97 identifies the following variations:

(1) (U) BLU-97/B, BLU-97A/B, and BLU-97B/B bombs. The bombs are painted yellow and havenomenclature, loading data, and identifying numbers stenciled in black on the side of the standoff probe.The BLU-97B/B has a black color band painted on each side of the nomenclature markings on thestandoff probe.
(2) (U) BLU-97(T-1)/B and BLU-97(T-1)A/B bombs. The bombs are painted blue and have the bombdesignation PRACTICE BOMB LIVE FUZE INERT FILLED and identifying numbers stenciled in white onthe side of the standoff probe. One broken yellow color band is painted around the rear of the standoffprobe. Pre-production bombs may be found painted orange with black markings and one broken yellowand one broken blue color band around the rear of the standoff probe.
(3) (U) BLU-97(T-2)/B bomb. The bomb is painted green and has the designation PRACTICE BOMBLIVE FUZE ARMING INDICATOR and identifying numbers stenciled in black on the side of the standoffprobe. Three broken color bands, one yellow, one light blue, and one white, are painted around the rearof the standoff probe.
(4) (U) BLU-97(T-3)/B bomb. The bomb is painted green and has the designation PRACTICE BOMBLIVE FUZE FUNCTIONING INDICATOR and identifying numbers stenciled in black on the side of thestandoff probe. Three broken color bands, one yellow, one white, and one light blue, are painted aroundthe rear of the standoff probe.
(5) (U) BLU-97(D-1)/B bomb. The bomb is painted blue and has the designation BALLISTIC DUMMY and​

identifying numbers stenciled in black on the side of the standoff probe. It contains no color bands.

Take this with a grain of salt, for as you can see, my drop piece is marked differently than as specified in the document, having no bands or identification of dummy, etc. The "D" codes (D-1), D-4) etc are used to identify loading dummies, EOD training dummies, etc. They do not appear to be consistent over the years either, so may be easily mixed up. As far as I have seen all "D" codes were for fully inert items though.

Hope this helps -

 

[spotter]

Thats great US-Subs thank you for posting the info and your photos,, i will pass this info on ,
allan

 

[spotter]

US-Subs i have just one more question regarding this ,there's a marking with a no2 next to it in one of my photos, is it the manufacturers mark or is it something else ??