CW Relic Hunt - Need Help with Buttplate

garren

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Mar 15, 2008
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Fort Worth, TX
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Just got back from a 3 day CW relic hunt. Found some bullets, a nice button and a butt plate. I'm having trouble Id'ing the butt plate and have my doubts that it's Civil War era. Being bent isn't making it any easier either. It has started to crack so I'm afraid to straighten it. The field we were hunting was part of a Union camp and the butt plate was found in close proximity to the bullets. The problem is that it looks more like a Kentucky Rifle plate. That's not too bad of a find by itself but I really want it to be Civil War. The other kicker is that the farmer suspects that there may have been an early house site in the field we were in. About 200 feet from the butt plate, he said, when he grew corn, the plow would bring up glass and metal junk. I think he may be right. I got tons of iron signals in one small area and a lead bale seal about 300 feet from the bullets and butt plate. If it hadn't been for the suspected house site I would've assumed the plate was from the Union camp.

Does anyone recognize the butt plate coming from a specific rifle? The top has some faint scroll work.

Also, One of the bullets appears to be carved and has a rusty ring left around the threaded hole. It sticks to a magnet. Would this be part of the puller? Maybe broke off when the bullet was pulled?

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Those are some great finds! I'm no help with the butt plate but someone will know for sure.
I love finding pulled bullets and the one bullet definitely looks carved. You had a great hunt, thanks for sharing.
 

Again, no help here, but great finds! I bet that plate rang up super high! It's a big chunk. I can't explain your carved bullet query, but we know lead doesn't rust, so you may have hit it right on the head...I could not imagine...being in a battle or fire fight, skirmish...and at best getting off 3 rounds per minute...and then the ole girl jams. Wow. I can just imagine being tucked behind a tree or log with those huge chunks of hot lead whizzing by, and your only weapon goes south and now you've got to try to extract that jammed projectile..in those conditions. Thx for sharing, Garren..great stuff, I hope one or more eagle-eyed lookers i.d. your plate. Ddf
 

Your gun jammed up and you have to use it as a club. Oops! There goes the butt plate. You should have seen the other guy. Gary
 

Your gun jammed up and you have to use it as a club. Oops! There goes the butt plate. You should have seen the other guy. Gary

I hope that's the reason I found this butt plate!
 

Cool finds. It usually takes me about a year to find that much, but I hunt at least once a week. Great work.
 

You got some real nice finds there. Congratulations.
 

looks like one from a muzzle loader. the ones that I have seen were usually a little more hook shaped in the belly of the back to fit the shoulder better. I had a similar one on a Hawkins style 50 cal rifle.
 

Very nice finds, thank you for sharing. :occasion14:

The carved bullet and the three screwed through the top are awesome finds!
 

Your butt plate is from a civilian Kentucky Rifle/longrifle. Nice find!
 

Your butt plate is from a civilian Kentucky Rifle/longrifle. Nice find!

Thanks Fullstock. That's what I was afraid of...I still like it though, just wish it was from the CW.
 

It’s still a cool find in its own right Garren.
 

It still could be from the civil war, a lot of confederates went to war with their personal fire arms especially in the western theater. No way of knowing unless you can teach it to talk.
 

It still could be from the civil war, a lot of confederates went to war with their personal fire arms especially in the western theater. No way of knowing unless you can teach it to talk.

I have a few other relics I would like to talk to also!
 

Hi, some nice finds you found:icon_thumright:
 

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