Big Boys Hobbies

Bullet Mold -- Surface Find!

DoctorWhy

DoctorWhy

Full Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
240
Location
Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine
Up here in Maine the frost is so deep in the ground it would take a jackhammer to unearth any finds, so instead of running the detector I am out, scouting for new sites in the woods. Today I came across a cellar hole and barn foundation. It may be promising to search in the Spring.

Stumbling around the site, I saw this bit of iron laying close to the rock foundation. It appears to be a single cavity .30 Caliber round ball bullet mold. I suspect that one time it had wooden handles over the iron for insulation.

I am guessing that this artifact is pre-Civil War. Can anyone make a better age estimate. On an 1881 map, a dwelling and barn are indicated at the site of the cellar hole.
 

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I can't tell from the pics but it doesn't look like it has a fill hole... does it? I mean the mold would have been poured in the closed position. Am I just missing it in the pictures?
 
kazacomy said:
I can't tell from the pics but it doesn't look like it has a fill hole... does it? I mean the mold would have been poured in the closed position. Am I just missing it in the pictures?
Click to expand...

There is a small, split funnel-shaped fill hole. Hard to see in the photo, but they are on the edge closest to the CM rule in the image. If I get a chance later today, I might try and post a better closeup.

--Bert
 
So, this morning I took a real close-up of the bullet mold. The 'sprue' hole (funnel-shaped filling hole) can be seen at the top of the image. Also to the extreme right and extreme left of the mold cavity you can see a 'locating pin' and matching 'locating hole'
 

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Hey Doc.
I like to float around this section of the forum to learn and research items I've never seen etc. Research is half the hobby for me personally.

I could find much that matched the mold online, found a book on ideal brand molds from 1888 but they don't match up. All the revolutionary molds are in the style of pliers not fold over types. So here is what I am thinking... Maybe it will lead someone the right direction. I think it is either home made from a standard civilian issue product... Maybe the handles were home made to the factory mold?

Anywho, I found a website online for an antiques dealer and sent them a request to take a look at your photos and give their input on it. We will see if they get back to me etc etc.
 
Hi kazacomy,

Thanks for sharing your interest and enjoyment of 'after-detecting' mystery solving. I agree, its at least half of the fun and challenge of this 'hobby'. I enjoy learning from others and sharing what information I have gained.

Thanks for sending the image along to your resource. I look forward to reading/seeing what you might find.

I also been doing some 'digging' -- on the internet and came up with the attached images and description from a website called: "jjmilitaryantiques.com" His example is made from brass, but it is a similar caliber and form to the iron one I found. He describes his brass example as: "a circa 1857-59, Ellis mfg. .31 caliber"

Best,
--Bert
 

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Looks to be a period bullet mold to me. A very cool find . I would for sure hunt that area a little more and see if you can come up with some lead , or other artifacts that might relate to that period when it may have been used.Congrats
 
MoBob said:
Looks to be a period bullet mold to me. A very cool find . I would for sure hunt that area a little more and see if you can come up with some lead , or other artifacts that might relate to that period when it may have been used.Congrats
Click to expand...

You bet I'll hunt that site once spring arrives and the ground thaws out.
 
That's a fantastic find. I've found a soup can full of musket balls but to find a mold, Yowzaa! I would do a whole display with that mold surrounded by musket balls. Super congrats.
Now, imagine hunting that site and finding a couple balls that fit that mold, maybe even one with the little sprue that matched. Hey, one can dream right?
 
kazacomy said:
Found one scarily similar to yours today on an antiques dealers website. Listed as a .32 caliber civilian mold but no date or manufacturing info.

http://www.horsesoldier.com/products/firearms/cartridges-and-gun-tools/9462
Click to expand...

Hey kazacomy,

All I can say is: "WOW!!!" What a great find on the Internet! The example in the link you mentioned is a "dead ringer" for my find! The difference between the .32 caliber given for the internet example and the .30 caliber I measured on my find may be accounted for by rust damage or my measurement error...

That image dispels a theory of a blacksmith friend who suggested the bullet mold may have been handmade by by a local craftsman .

As usual, the more answers found, the more questions result...

Thank you for your research efforts -- and for sharing with all!

--Bert
 
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