I cleaned my balls

[Wilderness medic]

Went back to the same general area I found my .50 musket ball and found three more. Two appear to be pistol balls(?) and another larger ball that’s a bit smaller than the .50. The two pistol ones look like they hit something pretty good.

These were found at the top of a mountain in an area that has been to dense to get into for decades now accessible by fire.


Any ideas?

 

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[against the wind]

Good to have clean balls,
Congratulations

 

[l.cutler]

Well, none are musket balls. Musket balls are larger, I don't know of any smaller than .69 caliber. Rifle or pistol, no way to say, there were rifles from .30 caliber or smaller on up into the .70 caliber range. Smaller doesn't mean pistol. Rifles were much more common than pistols but could be either. The smaller ones could even be buckshot. Basically we know they are muzzle loading round balls but can't tell much else.

 

[smokeythecat]

Actually, some could be trade pieces sent to the local Indians, as some had rifles. The eagle button looks to be Indian Wars period.

 

[Bill G]

It's about time...Lol

All The Best,
Bill G

 

[Tpmetal]

Could be from buck and ball loads. They used to load up like 3 of those little guys with a large one.

 

[Wilderness medic]

Well, none are musket balls. Musket balls are larger, I don't know of any smaller than .69 caliber. Rifle or pistol, no way to say, there were rifles from .30 caliber or smaller on up into the .70 caliber range. Smaller doesn't mean pistol. Rifles were much more common than pistols but could be either. The smaller ones could even be buckshot. Basically we know they are muzzle loading round balls but can't tell much else.

What’s the difference? Aren’t muzzle loading round balls musket balls? There’s an obvious sprue and they look like they weren’t cast very well or symmetrical.

The smaller ones could be buckshot, but There were only two and they were on two separate sides of the mountain top

 

[l.cutler]

What’s the difference? Aren’t muzzle loading round balls musket balls? There’s an obvious sprue and they look like they weren’t cast very well or symmetrical.

The smaller ones could be buckshot, but There were only two and they were on two separate sides of the mountain top

Well they are not really the same, musket balls would be fired from a musket, which is a military smoothbore of large caliber. Rifle balls from a rifle etc. Muzzleloading round ball would be a generic cover all term.

 

[Rookster]

Nice finds. Congrats

 

[Wilderness medic]

Well they are not really the same, musket balls would be fired from a musket, which is a military smoothbore of large caliber. Rifle balls from a rifle etc. Muzzleloading round ball would be a generic cover all term.

Wouldn’t balls from a rifled bore have grooves in it? Or do they wear off from being so soft?

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice finds!

 

[l.cutler]

Wouldn’t balls from a rifled bore have grooves in it? Or do they wear off from being so soft?

The ball is wrapped in a cloth patch when loaded. Sometimes fired balls do show the weave pattern of the cloth.

 

[Hawks88]

Some nice saves. Congrats

 

[trdking]

Better than Shwetty balls! Love that SNL Skit

 

[A2coins]

Awesome I would be all over that site.......

 

[CASPER-2]

I don't think most relic hunters would suggest cleaning them - but to each his own
not all but some of mine I can tell you where they were found because of their patina
I give mine a quick rinse sometimes but other than that I don't actually clean them
you do that and they are all gonna look the same whether they are rev war or cw