Bayoutalker
Elite Member
Sounds like a job for Mythbusters! Shoot a 50 caliber CW type projectile at a piece of metal and see what the results are. Any takers?
Cliff
Cliff
What do you think/Shoulder Belt Plate
- Thread starter MetalDetectOH
- Start date
Geez
Elite Member
I would have to respectfully disagree. Lead is not a metal that would give itself to disintegration and the description of the phenomenon was that they went up in a puff of smoke between the muzzle and target. That might describe a sandstone projectile but not a malleable metal like lead. Maybe vaporize is not a good term but they were shooting point blank and the bullets never reached the target.
worm12ga
Elite Member
OK I did a bit more reading, it seems you're right in the specific case of unjacketed small caliber ammo.
But in respect to the original point of the damage to the buckle, I maintain heat was not a factor in deforming the object. I have shot literally hundreds of aresol cans, propane tanks, and other flammable objects and not one caught fire or exploded, but I admit this was with more modern jacketed ammo. I can't say for sure what an early 1800's lead ball would do.
Next time I'm down on the farm I will pull out the black powder guns and some brass and steel plates and see if I can duplicate the damage seen on this buckle. I might even have some junk brass buckles (more modern) laying around for comparison.
I'm really curious now whether an age appropriate projectile would produce a clean hole like that.
But in respect to the original point of the damage to the buckle, I maintain heat was not a factor in deforming the object. I have shot literally hundreds of aresol cans, propane tanks, and other flammable objects and not one caught fire or exploded, but I admit this was with more modern jacketed ammo. I can't say for sure what an early 1800's lead ball would do.
Next time I'm down on the farm I will pull out the black powder guns and some brass and steel plates and see if I can duplicate the damage seen on this buckle. I might even have some junk brass buckles (more modern) laying around for comparison.
I'm really curious now whether an age appropriate projectile would produce a clean hole like that.
Bayoutalker
Elite Member
I'd like to see the results of that test too.
Cliff
Cliff
Geez
Elite Member
And there's nothing to say that someone in the more recent past didn't pick the buckle up not knowing what it was and figured it would make a nice improvised target to check his sights while hunting with modern jacketed bullets. Lots of stuff can happen at historical sites over several lifetimes. People tend to forget that.
Yesterday, I found a shotgun brass that had been fired, but had a hit from a 22 bullet just in from the edge on the back.
worm12ga
Elite Member
We used to use the shotgun hulls and brass as .22 targets or pellet/bb gun targets all the time. Free, small targets that bounce around a bit if you hit them.
worm12ga
Elite Member
I am starting a new thread for the testing, we've hijacked this one enough already.
GreenAcres
New Member
U.S. army used 65 cal ball and Brits 75 cal during War of 1812.Then there was the grape shot sizes. Slow round lead might not leave a nice hole like that on another soft alloy, without some bending. U.S. Shoulder Belt Plates were a tad smaller in length and width than Brit., often about 55 x 80 mm. U.S. were plain brass oval for other ranks and the colour of the jacket buttons. Could be made of brass or pewter or silver plated. Officer's usually had silver plated, with engraving and sometimes rectangular. These are generally what are found,not written in stone. The cross straps for the shoulder belt plates were white buff or black leather 2 1/2 inches wide. A nice find.
