✅ SOLVED Solved: Shot bullets

cdsieg

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Mar 31, 2011
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Re: Shot bullets

ok - heres some help when looking for "old" black powder type bullets --first off -- copper jacket means newer bullet ( note C 2 & 3 are the copper jacket type outer parts that the lead inner core has seperated from) --older bullets would be all lead thus not copper jacketed *

#2 most of the older "black powder" type rifle bullets had a hollow base area that when the "loose" gun powder behind the bullet went off , the gases expanded the base to make a good "gas" seal --often the body of these old bullets has gas seal rings around the main body of the bullet -- (thus the term -three ringer or 2 ringer ) -- it was these "trapped" gases made by the burning gunpowder that caused the bullet to be pushed down the barrel ---

#3 compared to modern type smokeless powder used in "modern" type cartridges -- "loose" type black powder burnt slowly so the bullets used with blackpowder were as a general rule much larger caliber and heavier in weight to have enough "knockdown" power , their main "killing force" was largely because of their massive size and weight ripping into you and the phyiscal damage they caused-- with modern faster bullets there was much more deadly shock wave type of impact caused by the much more rapidly travelling bullets as well as the easily visible 'normal" damage , "the shock wave effect" is known as "kentic energy" thus one could use a much lighter bullet and be as deadly or even deadlier than a larger slower moving blackpowder type of bullet ( with modern cartridge's lighter bullets of course you will also get greater range than a heavier blackpowder bullet with the same amount of "powder charge" )
 

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Re: Shot bullets

Cindy in row "A",I see several what appear to be powder(black)can stoppers,as they appear to be of the "press in" variety vs. the threaded type,can you see any writing or picture?An Eagle,or the Letters,"E.I. DUPONT"?and I see several fired round balls as well
 

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Re: Shot bullets

Kuger, no offense intended, but I think what you are seeing as being round-balls is just the front view of the "mushroomed" fired cylindrical bullets.

Cdsieg, unfortunately I have to say I do not see any civil-war-or-earlier bullets in those photos.
 

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Re: Shot bullets

TheCannonballGuy said:
Kuger, no offense intended, but I think what you are seeing as being round-balls is just the front view of the "mushroomed" fired cylindrical bullets.

Cdsieg, unfortunately I have to say I do not see any civil-war-or-earlier bullets in those photos.

......on second look the "others",are I see now........what about the one in...I think the lower second row from the left?
If those are indeed Powder can stoppers they do date to the mid 1800's
 

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Re: Shot bullets

How long does it take for lead to oxidize?
 

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Re: Shot bullets

lead turning whitish (oxidation) how long does it take -- well a lot depends upon the soils mineral content / acidity levels -- but normally speaking it tales a fair bit of time .
 

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Re: Shot bullets

I see nothing old,& a good part of them appear to be lead nail heads caps.
Take Care,
Pete, :hello:
 

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Re: Shot bullets

..pretty big nails..........maybe I am being optimistic but they sure look like can tops
 

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Re: Shot bullets

lead capped / topped "roofing nails "-- used when roofing old tin type roofs to seal up the holes made in the "tin roofs" when pounding nails thru them into the rafters to hold the roof in place. -- the lead spread filling the hole up and it water tighted the roof that way.
 

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Re: Shot bullets

The diamond cross hatch pattern inside the caps looks like the pattern on the old lead head roofing nails when the cap is removed. We had a few old metal roofs on the farm.
 

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Re: Shot bullets

It's all good & not worth arguing about.....but I've demoed enough old buildings I know what they are.Not to mention how many I've dug.
Anyway Take Care Guy's,
Pete, :hello:
 

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Re: Shot bullets

mikusek said:
The diamond cross hatch pattern inside the caps looks like the pattern on the old lead head roofing nails when the cap is removed. We had a few old metal roofs on the farm.
Agreed,I don't have a lead head type here but this one below is the same deal.The rubber washer flattens out & does the same thing the lead cap does.I might have some lead heads out in the barn in my scrap bucket but it's raining & going on 12:00am here so hope this will do.
 

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Re: Shot bullets

Thank you all, for sharing your thoughts, Here are some other pictures of them.

The ones in the earlier photos in the last couple of columns are all mushroom type, or whatever someone called them. I have a few round balls, that are in my pile of things to photograph and post on here.
 

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Re: Shot bullets

CSA2K said:
How long does it take for lead to oxidize?

I shoot muzzleloaders, and I dig and re-cast the lead I shoot. I have pulled apart dirt backstops/banks to recover lead only five years old and have found balls completely white and evenly oxidized over all the surface. Depends a great deal on the soil, I would imagine.
 

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interesting
 

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