Help to id this bullet

[jcbr6]

Hello,

Got my first find today, Does anyone have any idea of age?



Im not far from Harpers Ferry on the Maryland side. A lot of shots fired in the area. Just not sure how to judge the age.

Thanks

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

Because your fired bullet is smashed, we need super-precise measurement (in 1/100ths-of-an-inch) of the diameter of its base, to figure out your bullet's caliber. We also need precise weight measurement, preferably in grains but at least grams. (Impact-damage changes a bullet's shape but not its weight.)

Although your fired bullet somewhat resembles a civil war era Sharps Rifle/Carbine bullet, the body-groove above its base it too deep for a Sharps. The white oxidation on it suggests it is a pure-lead bullet, which was most common version until "about" the 1880s, rather than a lead-alloy bullet, which is the standard for 1880s-through-20th-Century bullets. I suspect your bullet will turn out to be from a few decades after the civil war.

 

[jcbr6]

Thanks for the info Cannonballguy, I will see if i can get some measurements and weights.
this was the first think i pulled out of the yard, hopefully i can find more.

 

[baspinall]

Looks modern for sure. But still a great find.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

with no measurements, based just on experience I'm fairly sure you have a somewhat modern .38 wadcutter slug.

 

[Tedyoh]

Looks like hard lead to me, .54 modern muzzle loader slug is my guess.

 

[cheese]

Looks modern to me too. Looks like pretty good rifling grooves in it.

 

[jcbr6]

.50 is what im getting.

 

[Tedyoh]

It probably looked something like this way back when