For 32 years, a Philadelphia man kept a 105 mm projectile for an M108 howitzer battle tank locked in a storage facility on Cobbs Creek Parkway.

On Saturday he took it to the 12th Police District building, at 65th Street and Woodland Avenue, to dispose of it.

The lesson he learned: Always call ahead to announce your projectiles.

The district was evacuated for a short time about 6:45 p.m., after the 53-year-old man brought in the shell.

The city's Bomb Squad was called in and safely removed the device to a facility where it could be disposed of, Lt. Frank Vanore, police spokesman said.

"All indications are that it was an active ordnance," he said. "They handled it like it was live."

Vanore said that the man, who was not identified, told police that he had obtained the device from a friend in 1977 when he was enlisted in the Marines.

He kept it in a storage facility since then and recently decided he wanted to get rid of it, Vanore said.

The man was interviewed by police, but is not expected to be charged with a crime for bringing the device to the 12th District.

"I don't think there was anything sinister to it," Vanore said. "He had a six-month-old at home and didn't want to bring it to his house, which was probably a good idea."