✅ SOLVED Shotgun slug or Rev. War bullet?

[cti4sw]

I recently found out that the area here in Hatfield, PA where I do my hunting is very near to some Revolutionary War activity sites in Whitemarsh and Whitpain Twps, so I am now second-guessing some of my previous finds...I mean, some of them don't look quite like what I thought they were. So now it's up to you guys... on this one, I'm really hoping CannonballGuy will make an appearance...

I originally thought that these two lead bullets were shotgun slugs, but a relative of a fellow MDer has suggested I research 3-piece French bullets called "shaler" bullets. (He also mentioned that these don't look like any shotgun slug he's ever seen in the 5 years he's been detecting.) I have done some research, and while there are SOME similarities to the three known major varieties to the top piece of a shaler bullet, it's not quite the same... again, the pics I found are the "top three MAJOR varieties" so I'm guessing there are more varieties than just three.

You decide....

The three major varieties of shaler bullets


My two questionable shaler varieties


They both have that indentation on the underside...

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[NOLA_Ken]

Well, the rifling grooves would make them later than the Revolution, my bet would be shotgun slugs. The diameter looks about right for 12 gauge.

 

[d2]

A modern shotgun slug. A Forster type if I remember right...d2

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

With sincere sadness, I must answer that your find is a 20th-century shotgun slug.

Although it does resemble the top portion of a civil war Shaler 3-piece bullet, all of those were .58 caliber. The ruler in your photo shows your find is significantly larger. It is a 12-gauge slug, which translates to "about" .69-caliber.

Also, as the photos of Shaler bullets indicate, the cavity in a Shaler's top segment is thin-walled (about 3/32"), so the next segment could fit snugly up inside it. Your shotgun slug's cavity-wall is significantly thicker, about 3/16-inch.

Nonetheless, you did the SMART thing ...which is, to check for a definite ID. Better to find out for sure than to assume something is just junk.

 

[cti4sw]

Thanks, TCG! I had originally thought they were just regular shotgun slugs, which I'm used to finding in my area... 20th century or not, they would have to be pre-1962, which was when the area started becoming more residential. I do find a lot of brass from the old paper shotgun shells too.

 

[Ace^of^Spades]

I found something that looks similar. Mine are quite smashed from impact. I took them to a MD club, one guy said immediately, large caliber bullet 1880s, another said shotgun slug. Made of lead.

I've attached some pictures below. The weight is 27g.

With sincere sadness, I must answer that your find is a 20th-century shotgun slug.

Although it does resemble the top portion of a civil war Shaler 3-piece bullet, all of those were .58 caliber. The ruler in your photo shows your find is significantly larger. It is a 12-gauge slug, which translates to "about" .69-caliber.

Also, as the photos of Shaler bullets indicate, the cavity in a Shaler's top segment is thin-walled (about 3/32"), so the next segment could fit snugly up inside it. Your shotgun slug's cavity-wall is significantly thicker, about 3/16-inch.

Nonetheless, you did the SMART thing ...which is, to check for a definite ID. Better to find out for sure than to assume something is just junk.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Shotgun slug.

And Shaler Bullets came out about 80 years after the Revolutionary War ended.

 

[Red James Cash]

Shotgun slug.