No nuggy but I got a bullet :)

[AnnaMountain]

So I was out detecting a couple days ago in Colorado at our cabin/mine...no gold, but ran across this bullet buried in the ground. Thought somebody might have a clue as to what era... This area was full of Ute indians at one point, and I know the calvary was called in to move them to reservations...was wondering if it could be from that era.



Interestingly, a few feet away I found what I believe to be lead "buttons" as if they were smelting them for some purpose, yet unknown...I don't have a picture of those but they were about penny sized with raised, semi-hollowed inner circle.

Let me know what you think!

 

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[Goldwasher]

The "buttons" sound like bullets that hit a hard flat surface.Are they flat on one side? Your looking at the tail end when seeing the raised circles possibly.

If it.s .45 cal. it could be from a trooper. Your in the frontier it could be from any of the thousands of people moving through the area. That's pretty cool. But, honestly it doesn't look oxidized enough. So, some guy on vacation could have popped it off twenty years ago.

Cabins at the end of roads make good camps and places for target shooting. And unfortunately end up as targets themselves.

If it has been occupied and in your family for a while that could rule out modern shooting.

 

[AnnaMountain]

I bet that's it! Maybe a bit of target shooting going on...maybe a bit of battle...but yep - those "buttons" appear to be flattened bullets...interesting! As far as corrosion...hard to say - definitely an old old old area. I've owned it for quite some time - but haven't done much metal detecting until now, as I've been in the mine itself It's a very wet area...so you would think they would be more corroded. Fun find!

 

[Goldwasher]

I bet that's it! Maybe a bit of target shooting going on...maybe a bit of battle...but yep - those "buttons" appear to be flattened bullets...interesting! As far as corrosion...hard to say - definitely an old old old area. I've owned it for quite some time - but haven't done much metal detecting until now, as I've been in the mine itself It's a very wet area...so you would think they would be more corroded. Fun find!

Expect more of an oxidized coating. Than corrosion per se. The coating actually protects the bullets. The round balls i find in wet stream gravels. Tend to have a more blue color. More white when in dry ground.

 

[beekbuster]

I have found many musket balls and they didnt have that much oxidation. If you have a caliper, measure the diameter and it may lend a clue.

 

[717]

Cool

 

[Goldwasher]

I have found many musket balls and they didnt have that much oxidation. If you have a caliper, measure the diameter and it may lend a clue.

don't mean thickness of the crust really. Just more color change.
I have a round ball that is oxidized but you can still see the pattern from he cloth patch it was seated with.

Corrosion implies degradation to me I just meant expect more of a film, crust, coating, color change . Than say loss of material like when an old rusty nail "corrodes" and is a smaller version of it's previous self.

 

[beekbuster]

I didnt mean the thickness of the crust. i meant the caliber of bullet. 38 or a 54 , 68 cal muzzle loaders... looks like a 35 cal minimum he has in the pic . brass cased projectile for sure. Probably 1900-1970 considering no copper jacket. the bigger calibers were more common before technology advancements.

 

[Goldwasher]

I didnt mean the thickness of the crust. i meant the caliber of bullet. 38 or a 54 , 68 cal muzzle loaders... looks like a 35 cal minimum he has in the pic . brass cased projectile for sure. Probably 1900-1970 considering no copper jacket. the bigger calibers were more common before technology advancements.[/QUOTE

I didn't mean to measure the coating sorry. Yes use a caliper. It is hard to tell. The size from the picture. Could be .38/357. Looks bigger to me.Comparing it to the size of the keyboard keys. Govt. issue for the post 1872 to WW1 Would be .45 colt. For pistols. 45-70 for Rifle (until 1905). .45 colt was a very very common round for the general population too. I have a pretty nice collection of Gold Rush round ball's. From detecting and sluicing/sniping. When I find a "modern" slug i know it could have just been fired twenty years ago even with decent patina. But, find a nice white/grey round ball in the Motherlode. I think that's pretty cool. Pre Civil War, and unlike the Civil War. There wasn't like tons of lead flying through the air on a daily basis. Find a ball and it could have been shot at game another miner,bandit,or Indian. Your the next person to hold that ball from the person. Who, rammed it home and sent it flying at whatever his target was. I like it!! I have two pistol balls from my yard. I am right at/near where the fellas were living 1848 to 1855. I often wonder who shot at who right in my own backyard. If I had the tnet app I'd take some pics now. I will in a bit. Then upload them onto my pc.

 

[Lanny in AB]

I love finding old bullets, then I try to puzzle out the history. It's always cool to try to ponder who, what, when, and where (the shooters were from).

Thanks for posting, and all the best,

Lanny

P.S. Lead sure sounds good under the coil, gets the heart pumping thinking there should be something golden down there . . .

 

[Goldwasher]

I love finding old bullets, then I try to puzzle out the history. It's always cool to try to ponder who, what, when, and where (the shooters were from).

Thanks for posting, and all the best,

Lanny

P.S. Lead sure sounds good under the coil, gets the heart pumping thinking there should be something golden down there . . .

Dang blasting cap pieces too

 

[beekbuster]

slag piles. that will test your resolve.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Dang blasting cap pieces too

Yes indeed!

 

[Lanny in AB]

slag piles. that will test your resolve.

Also a trying experience.