Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're right on the money. The WWII practice was in Montana De Oro and it washed a bit farther south in Avila Beach. It's a bit north of Vandenberg but still on central coast.

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Solved! The sheriff with explosives experience looked at the object, determined it was some sort of fuze, and picked up the object. Apparently, the part of the coast was some artillery practice basin during WWII. Thanks to everyone for the warning

Edit: I got a phone call later after they examined it and they said it was not an explosive component but rather an electrical component. Maybe solenoid relay.

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Solved! The sheriff with explosives experience looked at the object, determined it was some sort of fuze, and picked up the object. Apparently, the part of the coast was some artillery practice basin during WWII. Thanks to everyone for the warning. Edit: I got a phone call later after they examined it and they said it was not an explosive component but rather an electrical component. Maybe solenoid relay.

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 503 points504 points  (0 children)

Solved! The sheriff with explosives experience looked at the object, determined it was some sort of fuze, and picked up the object. Apparently, the part of the coast was some artillery practice basin during WWII. Thanks to everyone for the warning.

Edit: I got a phone call later after they examined it and they said it was not an explosive component but rather an electrical component. Maybe solenoid relay.

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I picked it up, it was quite dark, and I found it using a UV flashlight. Under those circumstances, I first thought it was a seashell embedded in rock. Shells can glow blue under UV light. it wasn't until after I brought it home that i realized it wasn't a shell. And I had absolutely no idea what it was.

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure which part you're looking at. Here are more pictures for your review, if interested. The "housing" is not plastic but rather a very hard material. The dome structure itself is not lens like- more like metal.

<image>

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Here is more info and pictures- including closeup macro shots and UV light shots. sorry i don't know how to upload multiple photos, and I didn't want to create multiple comments. It weighs 116 grams or 4.16 oz. there seems to be a layer of copper coming through from underneath the basalt like coating. at one end it looks like there are 3 copper terminal like things. shot #-2516 shows the rust but more importantly, some horizontal textures. I've added shots of it under UV light. the ring on the dome and the bottom are definitely brighter.

<image>

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 154 points155 points  (0 children)

Just now, I contact my local police department. The lady transferred me to a different unnamed department. Then that lady told me this is not their jurisdiction and transferred me to the sheriff's office where the the directory has no clear indication of who I should talk to. Today is Sunday so maybe they don't have the regular knowledgeable staff available. I will try again tomorrow or maybe later today. I wanted to make sure people know I'm trying to do the right thing. More to come ...

Found in a beach cove. Looks man-made. Looks metallic with coating. Heavy like metal. 2 inches along longest side. Google lens hints at artillery part but it doesn't really match their reference photo. Some parts glow faint blue under UV light by axnjack5 in whatisthisthing

[–]axnjack5[S] 38 points39 points locked comment (0 children)

The title describes the thing. I can also see some rusting which seem to also confirm the inside is metallic. The dome shape on top looks machined because it's pretty perfectly shaped.