I wouldn't dream of buying, transporting or storing these items as they could blow up at almost any time if the filler is still there. When it comes to dug up explosives, you often hear the famous last words, "It's inert, having been the ground so long." That should be as comforting as someone pointing a firearm at your head and hearing them say, "Don't worry, it's not loaded."
Still it doesn't stop many folks from having the "I'm an expert even though I've never even cracked a book on these" attitude, like knuckleheads who play around with 'unloaded' guns. Any real, professional handler of ordnance doesn't think like that. Attitudes like this separate the pros from the cowboys. I'd much rather be ultra careful and go home safe at night than be a knucklehead who just 'thinks' he knows better and have something I really liked having blown away from my body. That is
exactly the type of flippant behavior that gets people
killed. I'm glad to read so far most folks here seem to understand that it's better to err on the side of caution as someone might bring parts of you home in a
bucket if you walk up to something with the above attitude!
I was an Army Ordnance officer and used to teach a basic unexploded ordnance ID class to my soldiers whenever we'd deploy to anywhere, as even in CONUS training areas you can walk into an area people forget had been used as an impact zone. The only time I ever picked up anything was a 105MM solid shot tank round (fired from an M-60 tank, I guessed in the 70s) at Yakima Firing Center. This was right after we'd driven into an impact zone that was NOT on any map. Thank God all the rounds in that field were dummy training projectiles. The only reason I picked that up was the light blue paint and markings were clearly legible and readable. Even then, I would suggest to people to not even try that (hey, I was an O-1 and stupid, what can I say?). I still have it as a doorstop today. The photo is from the wrong side, as the other side has the clear markings saying it is an inert training projectile:
NOTE: I DO NOT CONDONE ANY SUCH ACTIONS AT ALL BY ANYONE. I WAS LUCKY AS I WAS A STUPID 'BUTTER BAR' AND COULD HAVE BLOWN MYSELF TO KINGDOM COME BY SHEER ARROGANCE HAD I NOT BEEN SO LUCKY!!! 
I only show the photo so people won't suspect I have a potentially dangerous round in my home today, and for no other reason.
I too have initially responded to calls from people until the real EOD people could show up. Most of the time, it was a dummy grenade someone had bought from a surplus store. But you just never know. Ordnance is NOT like a fine wine. It doesn't get better with age! I heard a horror story about some people who'd dug up a large civil war round with a Borman fuse while camping. Apparently, one of the people was sitting on it, next to a campfire when the worst happened. They found his feet, and nothing else. The rest died instantly as well! One of my soldiers found a WW2 bazooka rocket once, and 'gave' it to me as I collected such things. I called EOD then too just in case as it was too rusty to tell any color paint. They took it out and blew it up to be sure. Better to miss out on a cool item for a collection than to kill yourself with one! I have yet to meet anyone I would trust to "deactivate" any kind of ordnance. There's a reason EOD blows up stuff in place most of the time. Show me anyone who confidently says he can disarm any ordnance, and I'll show you someone who'd better have his life insurance paid up!
