The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Curios and Relics

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old August 21, 2009, 05:31 PM   #1
redletter
Junior Member
 
Join Date: August 21, 2009
Posts: 2
Need help identifing this ammo

A friend of mine found this with his metal dector around south central KY. Any help would be most appreaciated. Thanks

I'm new at posting pics, so I hope this works
http://s736.photobucket.com/albums/xx4/redletterkjv/

Last edited by redletter; August 21, 2009 at 05:38 PM.
redletter is offline  
Old August 21, 2009, 06:05 PM   #2
the rifleer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 5, 2008
Location: Sunny California
Posts: 1,281
I'm no expert, but its obviously a large caliber round, and there for, probably was shot out of a black powder rifle.

Are there grooves along the sides where the rifling cut into it? if there is then i was probably shot from a breech loader and from the looks of the bullet, it was shot from a self-contained cartridge.

however if its not it may have been shot from a musket. Again, I', no expert and its probably going to be very difficult to say exactly what gun and what round, but like i said, probably a black powder breech loader of some sort.

I'm not aware of any round that is bigger than a quarter, that's about 1" isn't it? thats awfully big. Are you sure its a bullet? Is it lead?
the rifleer is offline  
Old August 21, 2009, 06:26 PM   #3
robhof
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 16, 2007
Posts: 712
robhof

The shape suggests a cartridge bullet, but I've never seen an early cartridge greater than 75cal. The tips make them look like sabot slugs used in current b/p loadings. If they'r truely old. I'd be wary that the tip is a fusing mechanism and they're loaded with powder. Many years ago an expert was hand drilling a cannon ball and set off the still active powder and was killed. Be careful til you know what they are.
robhof is offline  
Old August 21, 2009, 06:36 PM   #4
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
 
Join Date: June 25, 2008
Location: Austin, CO
Posts: 19,578
Quarters are 31/32 of an inch and those things look to be a fair bit bigger. I don't think that they could have come from a hand held weapon...

They do look similar to this 12 ga round from the civil war:



http://www.virginiarelics.com/PC2584%20001%20(2).jpg

but 12ga would be considerably smaller than those appear to be.


I have to ask, are you sure that they're actually a bullet? I mean, I don't know what else they'd be but.... who knows?
__________________
Nobody plans to screw up their lives...
...they just don't plan not to.
-Andy Stanley

Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; August 21, 2009 at 06:48 PM.
Brian Pfleuger is offline  
Old August 21, 2009, 07:39 PM   #5
kwells6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Central Arkansas
Posts: 437
they look like detonation caps from an artillery round... those screwed into the tops of particularly 105mm cannons or a 20mm... unless they are inert, they are dangerous

the black nose cap gave it away, as we in artillery say... STEEL RAIN!
__________________
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."
kwells6 is offline  
Old August 21, 2009, 09:04 PM   #6
Inspector3711
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 9, 2008
Location: Puget Sound Washington
Posts: 1,553
__________________
"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." The Dalai Llama (5/15/01, The Seattle Times)
"That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." George Orwell
Inspector3711 is offline  
Old August 24, 2009, 01:39 PM   #7
redletter
Junior Member
 
Join Date: August 21, 2009
Posts: 2
The bullet has no rifling marks, it weighs around 4 oz. It appears to be made of cast (the rusted part) and is lead tipped. Does anyone know where I could possible find any info. Again thanks for any help.
redletter is offline  
Old August 24, 2009, 02:42 PM   #8
the rifleer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 5, 2008
Location: Sunny California
Posts: 1,281
I really don't know what it is, if its cast it most likely isn't a bullet. Its also looks like its not long enough to be a bullet.

If they made cast bullets, it would be for a smooth bore, but again, 1'' is too big for a shoulder fired weapon.

Its very possible its not a projectile.
the rifleer is offline  
Old August 24, 2009, 03:41 PM   #9
Stefun
Junior Member
 
Join Date: December 29, 2008
Posts: 2
Hm, looks more like the tip of a grenade, or of a real big projektile to me.
Stefun is offline  
Old August 24, 2009, 05:07 PM   #10
Mike Irwin
Staff
 
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,374
That's not ammo.

It's part of a relatively small-caliber artillery shell.

Judging from the size, I'd say maybe 37mm.

It appears that those are solid shot, possibly inert training rounds.

The shells designed to be used against light targets and infantry had nose mount fuses in assemblies like these. Armor piercing had base mounted fuses.


Edit:

Ah, finally found a picture of one.

This is more or less what you have. This one is a time fuse, so it's different from yours, but the concept is the same. This was screwed into the nose of the shell.

__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza

Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.
Mike Irwin is offline  
Old September 11, 2009, 02:01 PM   #11
OWD WULLIE
Junior Member
 
Join Date: September 11, 2009
Posts: 3
Hi All,

I'm a new guy to this place, but it sure seems like a nice forum.

As for that "bullet". Are you sure that is lead on the tip? Seems to me it would be pretty deformed.

If it is what I think it is that tip is tungsten carbide which looks like old lead when it tarnishes, except it won't oxidize to white like old lead.

What that looks like to me is the cutting tip off of a rock drill or trencher tooth. They come in all shapes and sizes but most are pretty similar in design.

Here's a link to a site that has some teeth pictured.
http://www.jpself.com/teeth.htm

Either way, it looks neat.

Y'all take care,
Willie

Last edited by OWD WULLIE; September 11, 2009 at 02:02 PM. Reason: left out URL
OWD WULLIE is offline  
Old September 19, 2009, 07:03 PM   #12
TEDDY
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2006
Location: MANNING SC
Posts: 837
bullet

what I see is a dime and bullet.the tip on artillary is alum or die metal.or brass.but what i se is a lead bullet with a heel probably for a cartidge.
Please if its civil war it would be cast bullet.dont post false info.read up on civil war most interesting on the guns and manufactering.
ther were 69 cal and 75 cal muskets.
TEDDY is offline  
Old September 19, 2009, 08:45 PM   #13
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
It almost certainly is not a "bullet", since there is no bearing surface. I agree that it appears to be a fuse or a nosecap (replaces the fuse in inert shells), but I can't determine from the picture the size of the shell it fits.

Are/were there any military firing ranges in that area? I don't think it is Civil War, or at least a quick check doesn't show any CW artillery that would use a fuse of that type and size. AFAIK, there were no clockwork timed fuses of the type Mike shows in the CW.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old September 19, 2009, 09:56 PM   #14
Mike Irwin
Staff
 
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,374
No, it's decidedly NOT Civil War.

Mechanical clock fuses didn't really become feasible until very late in the 19th century, and only became commonly used during WW I.
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza

Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.
Mike Irwin is offline  
Old September 20, 2009, 10:37 AM   #15
model18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 14, 2006
Posts: 419
Mystery ammo

Looks like the same end of some 20mm canon shells I have!
model18 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.09752 seconds with 10 queries