Possible cannonball?

[christoooopher]

Hello guys, a couple of years ago walking home from school I found this iron ball (assumed) on the side of the road and decided to hold on to it. It was not until recently that my interest in it was re sparked, and I did some research. People were saying it could be anything from a cannon ball to a grinding ball meant for ceramic mills. Any insight onto this object I would appreciate. Thanks.



Note : Last picture shows a diameter of 3 inches. Weighs approx. 5-7lbs. Has a groove going all the way around the ball. Ball was found in central CA.

 

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[DigIron2]

My first impression would be some kind of a shot- put?But there are 6 lb. CS solid shots,which would have a mold seem.I think this is a job for the Cannonballguy.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Sorry to have to disappoint, but... the first and third photos seem to show grinder marks on the ball. If that's what they are, the grinder marks exclude it from being a cannonball. In the era of cannonball artillery, a chisel was the only tool used to remove "casting imperfections" off of cannonballs.

If you want additional confirmation, you'll need to super-precisely measure the ball's diameter (in 100ths-of-an-inch, such as 2.93-inches), and super-precisely weigh it (on a scale that tells pounds and ounces). Then, compare those measurements with the precise diameter and weight data for American, British, and French "Solid-Shot" cannonballs here:
www.civilwarartilelry.com/shottables.htm

Also... my fellow relic-researcher David Poche and I co-wrote an educational article, with photos and detailed instructions, which teaches how to determine with CERTAINTY whether or not a metal ball is an Artillery ball or a civilian-usage ball:
SolidShotEssentialsMod