Musket ball?

[TerryG38618]

Just started a few weeks ago... is this a musket ball?

 

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[TerryG38618]

 

[Kurios1]

I would say yes on that being a musket ball. It appears to have a pretty whitish patina from being in the dirt a long time. Nice recovery now go find the musket.

 

[coinman123]

Nice musketball! I know some people always measure them to be sure, but if it has a white patina, and is smooth and round, it goes in my mason jar filled with all of my other musketballs. I love finding them, always a good indicator that you are at an old site, predating the civil war normally. I normally find them much less frequently than buttons, although at some sites it is the complete opposite. Congrats!

 

[Underwonder]

Fun! Just imagine...So, what state was it found in? Happy hunting. I look forward to seeing more of your finds.

 

[scruggs]

When you find one of those it takes you back a long time. Good you brought it to new light!

 

[vpnavy]

..: Moved from Today's Finds! over to Forum: What Is It? for more exposure :..​

 

[TerryG38618]

Found in a creek North MS

 

[bradyboy]

fishing weight?
BRady

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Super-precise measuring, done with a Digital Caliper, is needed for determining with certainty whether a lead ball is a firearms projectile or something else. Depending on its diameter, in hundredths-of-an-inch, from smallest to largest a lead ball could be a buckshot, a pistol-ball, a musket ball, an artillery Canister-ammo ball, a Grapeshot ball, or a not-a-projectile (such as a fishing-weight or net-weight).

Until you can get that lead ball precisely measured and report the measurement back to us here, I'll make an educated guess based on what can be seen in your photos. You say you found it in a creek, which is a logical location for finding a fishing-weight ball. But, the only well-focused photo doesn't seem to show a slit cut in the ball... a slit would mean it's a fishing-weight. The ball appears to be perfectly-round, which suggests it could be a projectile. The ball's size in comparison to your fingers suggests that, if it is a projectile, it is a pistol-ball, not a musket-ball.

Also "meanwhile"... here's a chart of buckshot-ball diameters.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I agree with TheCannonBallGuy. Too small for a musket. Perhaps a rifle or pistol ball.

 

[l.cutler]

Agreed, rifle or pistol ball. As both rifles and pistols were available in the same calibers, no way to say which.