Culpeper find

First off, great find! Do you plan to clean it up with some electrolysis?

As far as safe, it looks like the fuse is not set in place which would leave me to believe the shell is empty of powder, or if it's not empty, the ground water and weather will sure have ruined it. You can take a pen light and look inside and look for residues or anything besides the empty cavity of iron. If anything is in there flush it with water until everything stops coming out. IF you call or contact any EOD/law enforcement group they will take it and blow it up.

I wouldn't have any issues trusting this shell as it looks in the photos, but I have also been around this stuff a long time. If you need help with the electrolysis, let me know. If you're referring to Culpepper VA, I am not far out.

in the future leave the shell submerged in a bucket of water and in a safe place until you are certain it is safe.

RME said:

My son and I went MDing in Culpeper this past week and found a few items even though the grass was waist high in the fields. I found this 3" HotchKiss shell in almost 100% condition.
I have attached two pics. I need some pro advice as to if this shell needs to be deactivated
or other attention to make sure it's 100% in safe condition. It has what looks to be just the fuse adapter in the nose with a little finger size exposed hole in it. The hole was filled with dirt when I fount it about 8" in the ground.

Click to expand...

Cool Find!
Keep us informed as you figure this out.
I am in the gentle trickle of water mode as others have replied.
That can be done at a distance with a water hose or several water hoses hooked together over many hours of time in a safe area. It does not have to be held in your hands to do that.
But First.
If EmuDetector is too far away, I would contact the local Sons of Confederate Veterans group in your area.
One of their members or an expert they refer you to will help you preserve that great artifact without destroying it or confiscating it from you like the dot gov people will do.

Congrats on an outstanding find. Very nice.

What war/era are we talking?

Culpeper/battle of Cedar Mnt.- Civil War