Chris, We are told down here that those are volatile and dangerous. We do not accept them with collections unless they have been defused. You might want to contact someone at your local police  to see if they know any way to defuse it. Pete Gregory Willianson Museum 

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Garst
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 9:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Question regarding cannon ball

Good Morning all:
In our collections we have a 6#  cannon ball that still has its fuse.  
We suspect it is still filled with gunpowder also. It was recovered during a metal detector survey last fall and may date to the Civil War era.  We have been getting mixed messages regarding the safety of having such an item in our collection.  Does anyone know about the safety and stability of such an item?
Thank you
Chris Garst
Kansas Historical Society