History Authenticating a possible German WWII aircraft part?

Many years ago when I was about 12, not long before my last grandparent passed away, I found a very large piston ring in a closet at her house. She told me it was supposedly from a shot down WWII Messerschmitt. I don't remember asking more about it at the time and my Grandma is long since gone. Well, I knew where it was kept and got it when everything was cleared out. My Granddad didn't serve, but worked in a factory building planes. No one in my family served in WWII so I don't know how it would have came to our family.

I have no idea if it is even from an aircraft much less a German one. Is there any chance of authenticating it from actually being from a Messerschmitt? I don't have a pic, but with it compressed, its about 6 1/2" in diameter, 1/4" square and the gap ends are cut at about 45 degree slants. The inside has serations around the perimeter. It would be fun to find out if it really could be what I was told.

 

it could easily be from an aircraft radial engine as bore sizes were about that size but as for a specific make who knows. could also be from the 999 racer or a dump truck hydraulic ram? with no p/n's or s/n's no telling

 

HAHA, yeah, I know its a long shot and maybe has no business being posted here, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask given the broad range of experience on this board with all kinds of machinery.

 

The only way I could think you may possibly have a shot at running down if it was a Messerschmitt part or not would be to contact either the Smithsonian Air & Space museum in Washington D.C. or the Confederate Air force. Those are the guys who restore and fly all the WWII aircraft, If I were to have to guess I think being as your grand dad worked in an aircraft factory it might just be a souvenir from his job and the Messerschmidt story was just to get a rise out of a wide eyed little kid.

 

I agree with FNG, sounds like a souvenir from work. Does it have ant markings on it?

I was lucky enough to find a two stage supercharger from a Mk8 Spitfire for $15 bucks once. Used but rebuilt as a spare with the original paperwork for it. Its now in Temora Museum as a spare for there Spitfire. Only problem was a cracked mounting flange.
doc.