Musket Ball?

[recoiljunky]

I found this today while metal detecting in a recently cleared lot in a neighborhood in south Alabama. It appears to be made of lead.

My guess is that it is a musket ball. If it is a musket ball, when did hunters quit using these in this area? What's your guess?

 

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[ALABEAR]

Could be, but most of the musket balls I have found in Alabama have been 69 cal.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The .58 caliber is still used to this day by muzzleloading hunters. Most hunters however do not use roundballs.

http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/58musket.htm

58 Springfield Musket
The muzzle loading 58 caliber rifled musket was the primary weapon of the American Civil War. An unprecedented production of over a million and a half were made in the North during the Civil War by Springfield Armory and private contractors. The quantity made in the South is unknown, but is estimated as less than one percent of the number made in the North. The primary source for the South was to pick them up on the battlefields after the Union Army withdrew from immediate contact.

 

[Pimp Lenin]

Considering where you are located at, I would say there is a good chance that you found a bullet from the war. Very nice find!

 

[l.cutler]

Probably for a .60 caliber muzzleloader,rifle or smoothbore. .60 caliber would quite likely be an early ball, smaller calibers became more popular in the later 18th and early 19th century. Musket balls would be .69 caliber or larger.

 

[tymcmurray]

Probably for a .60 caliber muzzleloader,rifle or smoothbore. .60 caliber would quite likely be an early ball, smaller calibers became more popular in the later 18th and early 19th century. Musket balls would be .69 caliber or larger.

Interesting. We have found plenty of .58s at Antietem Civil War Battlefields.

 

[ALABEAR]

Like I said. I have never found a round ball at a Civil War camp in Alabama unless it was a 69 or small buck and ball. Now I am not saying they did not have 58's, but I just never found one. All the 58's I found were bullets.

 

[ivan salis]

conicals shot better than round balls and often no patch was needed for conicals --so most folks would use bullets (conicals) over "round" balls but theres always one guy who's got to do it his way - maybe an old timer--- the single shot 58 cal enfeild is one of the main guns during the war -- the south often took them when they were dropped in the feild if they won the battle . so both sides used them -- the 69 cal springfield is another main gun of the war . the 69 cal was well liked by southern troops its larger size meant more knock down power in their veiw

 

[Is this thing on?]

The British P1853 Enfield Rifled Musket was a .57 caliber weapon. Over 500,000 of these weapons were imported to the South through the blockade, and a little bit more than that to Northern ports. They would NOT have used a round ball.

As to round balls being used in the M1855, M1861 or M1863 Rifled Musket (Generically called "Springfield's), there is absolutely NO evidence to support this. Federal troops were issued standardized ammunition, so the likelihood of a Union solider using a round ball in a rifled musket is practically non-existent. Equally so for Confederate troops. Confederates used machinery captured at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal to manufacture there own version of the M1855 rifle (First pattern was the "high-hump rifle, omitting the Maynard priming door on the lock). This rifle, manufactured at the Richmond Arsenal, and so named - the "Richmond Rifle" also shot a conical ball. The Confederate forces had a WIDE variety of conical ammunition at their disposal, up to and including captured Federal ammunition.

"IF" this ball is Civil War related, it is probably from a Union or Confederate secondary rifle. Though the imported Lorenz musket is most commonly seen in .54 caliber, there were some that were imported in .58 smoothbore. There is also the possibility that this could be a Confederate non-standard ball, as used in a hunting style rifle.

Other possibilities would include:

A ball from an earlier war

OR:

Who is to say that it is military. Though it is in a military caliber, it could very well be a hunting ball.

 

[recoiljunky]

I washed the ball prior to taking the picture (which now doesn't show up on my computer) and the ball was left with what I guess would be called patina but it could also be called dirt, I suppose. This indicates to me that the ball is old.

I'm not aware of any battles that were fought in this area. I think it is more likely that the round was used at shooting game.

 

[ivan salis]

without a doubt conicals were the way to go in ready made ammo during the war --- but the south was famous for using whatever they could get weapons wize esp very early and very late in the war effort --- round ball design was commonly used pre war for hunting game and molds were common for making them ---scrounged lead could be and was recast into bullets by southern troops . many confederate camp sites have signs of lead casting going on . and while I'm sure it wasn't the prefered design---- for buck and ball type load or in a pinch its better than no bullet at all.

 

[Is this thing on?]

It is fun discussing a single bullet, isn't it? I'm serious, with no sarcasm intended. There are folks who exclusively collect Civil War small arms ammunition. Ammunition is a profoundly detailed topic, with literally THOUSANDS of different forms of ammunition that was used.

I would certainly concede that Confederate forces would cast their own bullets, and Lord knows what rifle they would be used in. The .58 Lorenz smoothbore was a popular musket amongst troops of the deep south, so there is a good possibility that it could have come from one of these muskets. However, as you said, it could have been used in any weapon of that caliber. It also looks like the ball was cast in the field, as it is rather crude.

That color on the ball is exactly what we would expect from lead that has been in the ground for 150 years. That patina is oxidation, and it should not be removed.

As to no battle being in your area: military relics are not just found at battlefields, but also at camps and picket lines.

Chris

 

[ivan salis]

yep that whitish tone is oxidation -- which is formed as it sits in the ground --it sort of helps vouch that its old and as such normally should not be removed in most folks veiw --but hey its your item ---so do it the way you like it

a 58 cal ball could be used in any weapon that could take ammo of that size -- and although conicals WERE by far the prefered ammo --the pre war molds that cast round balls were used in the feild esp by southern troops who often suffered shortages of supplies --esp earlyy and late in the war --- the main thing to see if its a war era item is to see if the spot was a military camp site or battle site --camps sites tend to be the most productve sites to find stuff esp long term camp sites

if they are no civil war campsites or battle sites nearby--it might be a pre or post war hunting round --- cool anyway--- Ivan

 

[plainsman]

I could be mistaken but It seems that I read somewhere that the New York Irish brigade still used buck and ball as its standard ammunition.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I bought my first rifled muzzleloader replica kit in the early 80's and I use a round ball. I seem to remember a lot of hunters using them at that time when primitive hunting first became popular. I make up greased patch and round ball speedloaders ahead of time. I find it to be quite accurate but maybe it doesnt have the knockdown power of a minnieball, or ease of loading. Most modern blackpowder hunters no longer use round balls.

After reading the responses here I am guessing either pre-civil war or early 1980's blackpowder hunter.