✅ SOLVED Civil war goodies found today.Identify help

[Ihatepoisonivy]

Not sure what the small lead ball was for and I wonder if the bigger one is Confederate or
FEderal.

 

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[nubby1974]

Its probly a musket ball.

 

[Bryanhashemi]

We need actual sizes. The top left one might be a Williams cleaner bullet used to clean the barrel of the musket. The item on the right looks like a piece to a grommet. The small round ball maybe a buck n ball

 

[Ihatepoisonivy]

Thanks fellas, definitely cleaner bullet type III .58 call, I think the smaller is a .30 cal buck shot, and I think I have a kepi buckle, and I think the other came off a boot. Great weather today!

 

[kuger]

I see a shot gun shot(lead)as said possible cleaner,a brass grommet,a GS Button,and a Kepi Hat Buckle

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The "bigger" bullet is definitely a Williams' Patent .58 -caliber Type 3 "bore-cleaner" bullet -- which is strictly a yankee-made bullet. The small lead ball is most probably a buckshot ball.

I suspect you already know the button is a yankee "general service" button for Enlisted-men (non-officers). For any readers here who don't know, the very thin stamped-brass buckle is a kepi-hat's chinstrap adjuster buckle. And Bryanhashemi is right, the small disc with a round hole through the center is from a grommet or rivet.

Edit: Ihatepoisonivy and Kuger and I were typing our replies at the same time. I'm just more "wordy" than they are.

 

[Ihatepoisonivy]

Very cool, I now have 4 different bullets in my collection. Not bad for somebody still trying to figure out there metal detector. I want to find cannon ball but when I go all metal it's not easy to discriminate. Practice I guess.

 

[Dug]

As the others have pointed out the small lead is likely a buck. Bear in mind that there was a buck and ball used during the Civil War, and yours is likely one of them.

 

[Ihatepoisonivy]

Great info,,! Thanks for everyone's feedback.

 

[CoilyGirl]

I was thinking buck n' ball as well.Nice finds and welcome to TN.

 

[kuger]

The "bigger" bullet is definitely a Williams' Patent .58 -caliber Type 3 "bore-cleaner" bullet -- which is strictly a yankee-made bullet. The small lead ball is most probably a buckshot ball.

I suspect you already know the button is a yankee "general service" button for Enlisted-men (non-officers). For any readers here who don't know, the very thin stamped-brass buckle is a kepi-hat's chinstrap adjuster buckle. And Bryanhashemi is right, the small disc with a round hole through the center is from a grommet or rivet.

Edit: Ihatepoisonivy and Kuger and I were typing our replies at the same time. I'm just more "wordy" than they are.

...and glad you are Mr.CBG,as does everybody else!

IHPI,I beleive you are doing a mighty fine job of both finding a good site,and learning your machine....both of those items are an ongoing lesson,for everybody

 

[kuger]

?I know nothing of Buck n ball loads but arent the even the small shot,bigger than the one in question?Lead shot in Buckshot shotgun loads are still on use today

 

[Bryanhashemi]

That's true kuger. Buck n ball will be hard to tell. I go by shape and patina. Still could be from a shotgun. Even those could have the same patina as CW ones.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Educational info for any reader who doesn't already know...

Definition of the term "Buck-&-Ball" ammunition, intended for use in civil war (and earlier) muzzleloader smoothbore muskets, meant it contained one "fullsize" (such as .69-caliber) lead musketball (the "ball") and three smaller lead balls (the "buck," meaning buckshot).

There was also simple Buckshot ammo, which contained just the small balls (12 or more per shot).

I've used a Digital Caliper to precisely measure the theee "buck" which I've dug in the same hole with a .69-caliber ball. The three "buck" in a .69-caliber Buck-&-Ball load were .31 to .32-inch in diameter. Smaller Buck-&-Ball ammo also existed (such as .58-caliber), whose buck-balls were appropriately smaller in diameter, about .28-inch.

 

[kuger]

Educational info for any reader who doesn't already know...

Definition of the term "Buck-&-Ball" ammunition, intended for use in civil war (and earlier) muzzleloader smoothbore muskets, meant it contained one "fullsize" (such as .69-caliber) lead musketball (the "ball") and three smaller lead balls (the "buck," meaning buckshot).

There was also simple Buckshot ammo, which contained just the small balls (12 or more per shot).

I've used a Digital Caliper to precisely measure the theee "buck" which I've dug in the same hole with a .69-caliber ball. The three "buck" in a .69-caliber Buck-&-Ball load were .31 to .32-inch in diameter. Smaller Buck-&-Ball ammo also existed (such as .58-caliber), whose buck-balls were appropriately smaller in diameter, about .28-inch.

Thanks CBG!I always wondered about that

 

[Bryanhashemi]

me too! thanks

 

[gtoast99]

Great finds! For what it's worth, here's a partially melted buck and ball round I found last year. The field was loaded with 69's and buck-balls, and I happened to get this one which must have been on the edge of a fire. Two of the smaller buck balls have fused to the 69, which also has some melting on the opposite side that you can't see in this picture.