Worst day hunting yet yields modern whatzit

[granthansen]

Been a rough few days... wife sick as a dog, daughter slightly sick, and me slightly sick and run down. But I wanted my wife to recover so she stayed in bed till 3pm while I occupied my 11 month old little girl. When my wife woke us she said, "If you want to go out for an hour..." and by the time she finished her sentence with "you deserve it" I was already dressed and out the door.

I have woods at the end of my block that I've only hunted once. Just got 2 beat up clad coins and not much else. Today I focused near a retaining wall that I think was built around 1910. Got SO MANY good signals that all turned out to be beer cans. Real deep too. My last dig of the day was this doo-hicky. I don't even know where to begin to research what it could be. Any thoughts?

 

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[LuckyThirteen08]

A homemade cock shaped marijuana pipe maybe lol

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I'm fairly certain that what you have is the end of the barrel of an old musket style cap gun.

 

[ohiowhiteguy]

A homemade cock shaped marijuana pipe maybe lol

really?

 

[granthansen]

I'm fairly certain that what you have is the end of the barrel of an old musket style cap gun.

View attachment 755805

Really? That's very interesting... I've taken 2 more pics so you can better see the screws. So you think part of a toy?

 

[nhbenz]

I think it's part of carburetor from a small engine. The part where the screw is jammed doesn't belong in there, but is where the breather tube for crankcase ventilation should go (obviously the throat is too to small to be a carb barrel. Is it pot metal? (no pun intended on the pot pipe idea, which might have been a later use).

 

[Stegner]

At first glance I thought it was a finial for the top of a metal fence post. But NOLA Ken's idea about the flintlock looks promising. Just from looking at this, I don't think it was a toy - if this is really from a flintlock, I'd be thinking it's the real deal.

 

[granthansen]

I think it's part of carburetor from a small engine. The part where the screw is jammed doesn't belong in there, but is where the breather tube for crankcase ventilation should go (obviously the throat is too to small to be a carb barrel. Is it pot metal? (no pun intended on the pot pipe idea, which might have been a later use).

First... I had to look up pot metal. Second, the only reasons I'd say it is NOT is that what I read about pot metal said it's easily corroded, cracked, etc. I found this in the same soil that I previously found a clad quarter and penny, both of which looked like they've been chewed up and spit out by a massive metal dragon. This is actually in really good shape... so I'm not sure :-/

 

[granthansen]

At first glance I thought it was a finial for the top of a metal fence post. But NOLA Ken's idea about the flintlock looks promising. Just from looking at this, I don't think it was a toy - if this is really from a flintlock, I'd be thinking it's the real deal.

If the real deal, that would be a major game changer. Not just because it turns a crappy hunt into an amazing one, but it gives me more hope about these woods! Luckily they're close and can provide years of detecting; most of which would be clearing out garbage. But that's OK... that way my daughter can enjoy them as a kid.

Any more tips/leads are appreciated! I'm not an arms guy but this has me excited.

 

[granthansen]

Here's a pic of the object near NOLA_ken's gun image... only difference I can see is that his image has a square screw housing, and my object has a round one (which would make it real, and not a toy, right? right?? :-D)

 

[releventchair]

Pot metal,cheap stuff like on small engines,brittle,soft. Would not take pressure to use with gun powder in a small diameter.
What steers me away from a real gun part is at the rear of barrel a breach plug commonly used(black powder arms) with a "tang" flat ,slightly curved tail with a screw hole lined up with hole in trigger plate below. The slotted washer a tell to modern time,never saw one on real arms either. Part is cast with mold lines evident as often the case with pot metal products. A non corroded area should polish up much like aluminum and be not much harder,compared to steel or iron it will be soft.
In last pic."drum"is facing viewer,has a flat spot where hammer strikes,drums on percussion arms are round. Hole tapped into side. Where a bump shows as a circle would be for a clean out screw,which is off center in pic. Should be centered.
Still a neat find!

 

[baspinall]

Not a gun part. Looks carburetor related to me as well.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It's definitely part of an old cap gun, I wish I could find a better pic, but that's what it is.

 

[Paleopilot]

I'm thinking it looks very close to flint-spark piece that went to a carbide toy-cannon. I'll try to find a pic as time allows.

 

[Paleopilot]

Here is a pic of a Big Bang carbide breechloader.....

 

[granthansen]

I'm constantly impressed with the knowledge of the TNet forum members and super thankful of all your willingness to help ID and support other members. Thank you!

 

[granthansen]

Here is a pic of a Big Bang carbide breechloader.....

Thanks for posting... where in this would you suggest the piece I found came from?

 

[granthansen]

It's definitely part of an old cap gun, I wish I could find a better pic, but that's what it is.

The pic you originally posted was pretty darn close. What model cap gun is that?

 

[Paleopilot]

The pic you originally posted was pretty darn close. What model cap gun is that?

It's not a cap gun. It operates much like a minor's lamp. You add a bit of water and a very small amount of calcium carbide. When you reinstall the breech plug, to "turn and lock" it mixes the carbide with the water creating a small amount of acetylene gas. You then push the little plunger in, (there is a lighter flint in the top part), it makes a spark, and BOOM! I have one of these things, they are very loud!

 

[Paleopilot]

They had a model with an igniter very close to what you have, here is one "relatively" close.