Bullet ID help

[toasted]

Found these yesterday. Larger ball is probably for a musket. The smaller one is corroded unlike any round balls I have dug. I'm guessing the smallest one is a fired .22 slug

 

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[toasted]

I'm mostly interested in the id on smallest one. Got a bet going with a friend. Is it a fired bullet?

 

[BosnMate]

If you want a positive ID, then we need a positive measurement. A .22 bullet would be very close to .22 hundredths of an inch. Your lead ball the is crumbling from corrosion I think
is due to their being two different kinds of metals that set up electrolysis. I've found older .45-70 ammunition doing the same thing. I have no proof, but I think there is antimony
used to harden the lead, or something like that that sets up electrolysis and causes it to rot. My .45-70 bullets actually grow larger and split open.

 

[BosnMate]

Here are two .45-70's I've found, the one on the right had water get into it, and freezing weather split the case in two and pushed the bullet ahead in the case. Note the bullet on
that one, and how it has swollen up, and the end has crumbled off. The other one was found very close and show no effects from the weather. So like I said, the lead bullet
rotting has to have something to do with a couple of different types of metal mixed together.

 

[Tejaas]

It's without a doubt a bullet.

Hands are kinda tied without measurements, but I'm comfortable saying it's definitely a .30 or .32 rimfire, haha.

Here are two (horrible) photos of what yours once looked like:

~Tejaas~

 

[Tejaas]

Here are two .45-70's I've found, the one on the right had water get into it, and freezing weather split the case in two and pushed the bullet ahead in the case. Note the bullet on
that one, and how it has swollen up, and the end has crumbled off. The other one was found very close and show no effects from the weather. So like I said, the lead bullet
rotting has to have something to do with a couple of different types of metal mixed together.
View attachment 1227718

BosnMate,

If your ever get the time and are feeling generous, i'd be interested to see those headstamps. I am absolutely obsessed with Frankford Arsenal .45-70 cartridge variants.


~Tejaas~

 

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