14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets? SOLVED!

Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

I'm no expert but I think they are bullets. They look familiar. Someone here will know for sure, meanwhile I will :icon_study:

Mike
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

I'm thinking of, :icon_scratch: bullets for derringer sized, single-shot percussion pistols like this one

pistol.webp
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

Here is a link on pinfire cartridge use during the Civil War. http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/Pinfire.htm

Less Common Guns
in the Civil War
Pinfire
A very early self-contained metallic ammunition design, the pinfire cartridge was invented by Casimir Lefaucheux of France around 1828 and first patented in 1835. Guns for metallic cartridges are much easier to load and reload in a hurry then the muzzle loaders before them. Pinfires were fired by a short metal pin protruding at nearly a right angle from the case to strike a priming charge inside the cartridge.



Only a few American collectors and historians knew about the pinfire--until recently when Chris Curtis wrote a book on the Pinfire. Many of the loaded pinfire cartridges being sold on the Internet claim to have been found at American Civil War sites. More information is needed to assess whether these discoveries can be used to estimate pinfire usage in the Civil War, or whether this only says something of cartridges being thrown away as impractical or unservicable

 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

NICE JOB GUYS!!

Had no idea anything like that existed. And I thought I knew it all :tongue3:

Tony
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

I have a feeling these are quite valuable to the right collector.
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

wow wow wow
never knew or have seen such a thing
great find
Are they dangerous in their current state?
Brady
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

Pinfire came along sometime between the first rim fire metalic cartridges and the centerfire cartridge. I'm not sure of the dates but would have been pre Civil War and just beyond. They're not any more dangerous than any live cartridge as long as they are not smashed or set on fire. Should contain a priming compound in the pin sensitive to percussion and black powder. Probably a little moe sensitive to droppage than modern cartridges. Monty
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

November 16, 2005 pin fire was covered in a thread in 'what is it' in that case it was the bases of pin fire shotgun shells that were in question. (below, taken from that old post)

More information on "pinfire" guns is found on the Wikipedia site at this web address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinfire

"A pinfire firearm cartridge is an obsolete type of brass cartridge in which the priming compound is ingnited by striking a small pin which protrudes radially from just above the base of the cartridge. Invented by Casimir Lefaucheaux in 1828 but not patented until 1835, it was one of the earliest practical designs of a metallic cartridge." Article continues with other information on use and time frame. Some novelty pinfire arms are still made today.
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

Whoa !!! Nice finds.
And welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

Monty said:
Pinfire came along sometime between the first rim fire metalic cartridges and the centerfire cartridge. I'm not sure of the dates but would have been pre Civil War and just beyond. They're not any more dangerous than any live cartridge as long as they are not smashed or set on fire. Should contain a priming compound in the pin sensitive to percussion and black powder. Probably a little moe sensitive to droppage than modern cartridges. Monty
Pinfire was first patented in 1835. It uses black powder so i would imagine it pre-dates rimfire cartridges..
 

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Re: 14 Copper Things From The Same Hole! Toy Bullets?

The rounds were founds in a park near my home. The area was developed in the 1950's with a few older homes. It always makes you think how they got there and who the early inhabitants were. I have found few other items in the same park not realizing how old some of them may be! When I first dug up the rounds I nearly tossed them in the garbage thinking they were some kind of junk pieces like roller bearings! It pays to hold onto your finds until they can be positively identified!!!!! ;D
 

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Have some of them been fired?
 

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rufus3898 said:
Only one appears to have the pin pushed in. The rest are unfired but the lead has deteriorated badly but still intact on all but 2 you can see in the pic.
I only see lead on three of them. But you say only one is empty?
 

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