• Forum server maintanace Friday night.(around 7PM Centeral time)
    Website will be off line for a short while.

    You may need to log out, log back in after we're back online.

Struggling to Identify

Lee1968

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
1,144
Location
Worden, IL
So I found these three items in a field adjacent to our small town. Both of the pieces of ammo are 3/8" in diameter (I don't have a micrometer or caliper of any sort.) The other "thing" is a metal spool with some type of fabric wrapped around. I started to unroll it to inspect it more, but it is very fragile. I am trying to date the site to see if it is worth continuing to hunt, or if this stuff is fairly modern?????? I am decent at headstamps, but I know very little about vintage bullets.

20190420_204026 - Edited.jpg

20190420_204234 - Edited.jpg
 
Isn’t that paper stuff just the inside of an old paper shotshell? I think that stuff came from a gun enthusiast having fun because you found a crimped bullet near a musket ball near a head stamp. Sound like 1900’s to me. Where I live people started recreational shooting in the 40’s to the 80’s. Maybe I am way off, But as long as you are not finding hundreds of plastic shot shells it should be interesting to detect.
 
The one on the left looks like a musket ball. The bullet in the middle is post civil war. Any bullets with the vertical lines are post civil war. Not sure about the headstamp.
 
The actual bullet looks more modern as it has a cannelure designed to crimp when seating into the brass neck.
 
The one on the left looks like a musket ball. The bullet in the middle is post civil war. Any bullets with the vertical lines are post civil war. Not sure about the headstamp.

I don't think the item on the right is a headstamp. It it shaped like a thread spool, but is metal and is wound with fabric. When I started to unwind the fabric, it is very brittle, but is at least 6" long. I found another one today in the same shape. No writing on either.
 
I don't think the item on the right is a headstamp. It it shaped like a thread spool, but is metal and is wound with fabric. When I started to unwind the fabric, it is very brittle, but is at least 6" long. I found another one today in the same shape. No writing on either.

We need better pictures. From the one posted I will not even guess.
 
the one on the left could be buckshot. Cant tell from the pic, but does it have a more flattened side to it? That usually indicates it was loaded with more. See if it is .36, that would be 000 buckshot
 
I don't think the item on the right is a headstamp. It it shaped like a thread spool, but is metal and is wound with fabric. When I started to unwind the fabric, it is very brittle, but is at least 6" long. I found another one today in the same shape. No writing on either.

Base wads are and were made of rolled fabric in some brands. That is almost certainly a shotgun primer in the center.
 
Back
Top Bottom