Let’s play a game, shall we

[fourfive8]

What is the story with those two.
Maker
Country
Use etc

Here are three representative examples of original South American "Espuela Grande" spurs. The top two are somewhat similar to each other and the bottom one different. The top one is likely the oldest dating to about 1860 to 1890. The bottom two date to the late 1800s... ca 1890. They were made by local blacksmiths specializing in this type spur. I have never seen nor heard of any of these with a maker's mark. These styles come from both Argentina and Chile. Current knock-offs one may find on eBay, etc. could very well come from Mexico?? These originals are all of three-piece construction- a heel band riveted to a sold split shank with a solid rowel on a spindle attached to the end of the split shank. Notice the Moorish influence with "comets", "stars", and "crescent moon" symbols. The top spur is iron with silver inlay bands and a solid iron rowel. The middle spur has a solid silver heel band and shank with a solid iron rowel. The bottom spur is iron with silver filigree inlay on the heel band and silver overlay on the shank with a solid iron rowel.

It is my understanding that these were primarily used for ceremony, festival and mounted parade. A collector I know spent time in the areas of their origin and actually saw an elderly Gaucho Patron wearing these type spurs in town, with sandals , on a Sunday afternoon. He was walking up and down the boardwalk of the main street "zinging" along. The rowels make a very distinct sound as they rotate within the shanks and on a surface like a boardwalk. He was obviously wearing them as a type of status symbol and jewelry.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yes! Used as support base for wearing of the massive ceremony, parade and costume Espuelas Grandes/Gaucho Patron spurs- Chile and Argentina. Allowed for wearing these spurs even with sandals.

View attachment 579744

Wow! Must be used for riding a Cape Buffalo in a rodeo to get through the thick hide to get his attention? LOL

 

[fourfive8]

The large diameter, multi-point rowels simply roll up and down the hide and at most, tickle.
The worst of the rowel designs are the much older "prick" spurs, at one time common in the Middle East and in Medieval Europe. Or almost as bad is a small diameter, modern spur rowel with only 4 or 5 points.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Yes, it’s the opposite of what you would think. The smaller diameter rowels are more aggressive than larger diameter. Less surface area stabs the ribs more than larger

 

[fourfive8]

May be easy- I dunno?

 

[CoElkHunter]

105mm shell? Maybe put a beer bottle next to it for comparison. LOL

 

[Ridge Runner]

May be easy- I dunno?

View attachment 580060

Put a quarter next to it and my quess is a 50 cal armor piercing bullet.

If it is bigger than a 50 cal. place the quarter comparing the bullet base to see if it is 20mm or 25mm.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The "rifling" on the rear of it almost makes me think it is designed for a smoothbore barrel?

 

[fourfive8]

Ok, next to a 50

 

[Altitude sickness]

20mm Vulcan ?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I’d say it’s the other end of this.

 

[fourfive8]

20mm Vulcan ?

Yes!

 

[fourfive8]

I’d say it’s the other end of this.
View attachment 580090

And yes!

 

[fourfive8]

20 mm practilce/target projectile out of M61 Vulcan. Likely fired from F14, 15 or 16 at a tow target during aerial gunnery practice. Most interesting thing about this one is absence of damage. Probably shot at high angle so enough time for enough velocity loss to minimize damage upon hitting ground. Probably destabilized free fall limited velocity into clay or sandy soil… by chance missing any rocks. I picked it up in a mesquite dune, blow out area. The tow targets were simply big “darts” made if styrofoam covered with relatively thin foil, pulled by a drone aircraft.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Very cool.

 

[Altitude sickness]

My turn. It is a bronzed skull from a African animal Which animal

 

[fourfive8]

Size?
It has Procyon or badger-like qualities. But I dunno? I’ll stick my neck out… Honey badger maybe? or if small… mongoose group? If much larger then… maybe hyaena? Sheesh, this is kind of tough one without scale.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Correctamundo, Honey Badger

 

[Altitude sickness]

It’s a rock I brought home from a climbing trip. It’s always been a thing I do. Bring rocks home for my wife.

It’s a specific formation.

 

[fourfive8]

Another tough one! But looks like deep crust metamorphic… maybe a type of schist?
If not that then a long shot…. deep formation volcanic- andesite?