Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1850s period

Woodland Detectors

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Nov 23, 2008
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Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1850's period

:hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :headbang:

This is one of my better CW relics for our collection to be donated soon!
I still can't believe this.

I set off in the early AM hours Tuesday to see if I could dig a few Civil War relics where I have found both Union and Confederate items in the past. Have you ever had those days where you don't just feel like detecting AFTER you drove a good distance? Yeah, it started like that. It was rough around the ole house after Tennessee took a whoopen from the Gators last weekend. :laughing9: Maggie loves college football, and her team is the TN. Volunteers. :D Having went to school there and graduating with 2 degrees, she will tell you blood pumps orange in her veins. :D

So, Just on the outside of the North Carolina border into South Carolina, I drove to one of last years favorite fields. The corn that was standing had just been cut recently, so I was pretty stoked in anticipation of what the day might bring. Yawning and groggy still, I attached my gear, chose my coil to start with and sipping the remainder of the coffee from my old Coleman thermos. As I watched in awe, the neon red glow of the sun just coming up, burning the fog, and warming my face, giving me a good feeling and the pep needed to start hunting. I noticed in the corner of the field, a real nice Whitetail buck who had obviously been scoping me out for quite a while. As we stared at each other for a minute or so, he wiggled his white flag tail, put his head down, and continued grazing, as if he knew I wasn't there to harm him or fill my freezer that day. :D I pressed the power on the new GPX5000 I did a quick noise cancel and ground balance and started to rhythmically sweep the dirt, listening to the symphony of musical tones bouncing around my Grey Ghost NDT's . It wasn't long before I got my first real good solid tone, that I dug a really interesting looking roman button/attachment. I slipped it in my keepers side of my Orvis fishing vest and continued on. After digging several civilian buttons and some dropped and fired lead, I got this tone, this really, really sweet tone. I thought, "whoa, what is this?" As I carefully dug my plug from the hard red S.C clay, a strange brass object laid right at the bottom. I couldn't believe what I was looking at, or what I had thought I was looking at. I thought, " Man, that looks like a gun barrel" "Could it be"? I gently put it soft side of my finds vest and continued on gridding. It was so hard to concentrate , I couldn't stand it any more. I shut down the Etrac, and took the miniature cannon looking object out and observed it a little more closely. I thought again, "oh man, I think this is a boot pistol!!" Still, reluctant to take my clothes of and do cart wheels in my very religious farming buddies field, :laughing9: I thought, "how can I get this ID'd out here?" I thought of calling my wife Maggie, but I knew she was out of the office. One name came to mind, Quindy, Vol1226-X I called up my Tennesee buddy, and after us two "old schoolers" figured out how to send a picture off the phone, I snapped a couple, and sent them in to Quin. Of course I did it wrong, and they never got there, thank God, because if I would have donr the cartwheels I spoke of earlier, I probably wouldn't be welcome there again... EVER! :laughing9: Just kidding of course. So When I got home I sent some pics via internet to Sir Quindy, the I.D expert. It wasn't long at all when Quin called me and authenticated it was indeed a Boot Pistol! :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :hello2: :headbang: This is such a historic find for the American Civil War archives and enthusiast's. A pistol, from a fallen soldier, seriously? fighting for his side of the woods. The pistol would have been used as a back up fire arm. Maybe he was using it when he fell. :-\ If this doesn't send you imagination into a frenzy, nothing will. This is an artifact all of us passionate American, Military relic hunters dream about.
I'm proud to say that this and other relics like it will, be donated to a museum in the area it was found, so history can be taught, remembered accurately.


Other finds were a full, intact 1781 Carolus lll Reale!! :hello2: Last week I dug a cut version. This one is in fantastic shape. Another find was an 1808 Sheldon American large cent. Looks like the rare version from what I can see of the back!
Lead pistol and rifle rounds, buttons and a real nice American Native broad head point.

The pistol is a single shot percussion boot pistol from 1852-55 it is a Leige.

Thanks Quindy and Buckleboy for your help on the ID!


Thank you for looking
Mike Post
 

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Upvote 4

REALESALVAGE

Jr. Member
Jun 25, 2010
87
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HEAVYMETALNUT

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Dec 8, 2008
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

wow! that's incredible! and to think i got all excited finding a trigger guard :tongue3: awesome stuff as usual and congrats on the banner!
 

ModernMiner

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2007
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

TWO banners Mike? TWO banners? You are the man. :icon_king:
Congrats Buddy, your hard work has paid off. :occasion14: You deserve banner just for being out in this heat. :icon_sunny:
In your honor:


-Doug-
 

OP
OP
Woodland Detectors

Woodland Detectors

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Nov 23, 2008
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

ModernMiner said:
TWO banners Mike? TWO banners? You are the man. :icon_king:
Congrats Buddy, your hard work has paid off. :occasion14: You deserve banner just for being out in this heat. :icon_sunny:
In your honor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FucbvoFFy0

-Doug-
Doug, I'm not going to bust your ba*ls but I'm going to bust you ba*ls.
I invited you and Sally to "float" around. :D
 

ModernMiner

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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

4-H said:
ModernMiner said:
TWO banners Mike? TWO banners? You are the man. :icon_king:
Congrats Buddy, your hard work has paid off. :occasion14: You deserve banner just for being out in this heat. :icon_sunny:
-Doug-
Doug, I'm not going to bust your ba*ls but I'm going to bust you ba*ls.
I invited you and Sally to "float" around. :D

I know you did, and now me & Sally are both blown away because we didn't join you. We "blew" it! :laughing9:
We'll hook up soon I promise. I'll let you give Sally a few pointers, but I must warn you, she's an airhead. ;D
Congrats Mike!
-Doug-
 

Tnmountains

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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

It looks like a little cannon. Love the design. What caliber is it.. 36??
Congratulations on your find !
HH
TnMtns
 

CRUSADER

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May 25, 2007
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

well done on the banner, & I understand that some of your success is due to iron digging, love the junk increase your results :notworthy: keep doing what you know works, & clear those sites
 

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Woodland Detectors

Woodland Detectors

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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

CRUSADER said:
well done on the banner, & I understand that some of your success is due to iron digging, love the junk increase your results :notworthy: keep doing what you know works, & clear those sites
Thanks Crusader.

Coming from a man with "9" Banners, I respect the compliment.
 

CRUSADER

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May 25, 2007
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

4-H said:
CRUSADER said:
well done on the banner, & I understand that some of your success is due to iron digging, love the junk increase your results :notworthy: keep doing what you know works, & clear those sites
Thanks Crusader.

Coming from a man with "9" Banners, I respect the compliment.

Banners are not important, what is, is the enjoyment gained by finding something you like, not everyone will share this, but it keeps us searching for more rare/interesting finds. Plus the giving back to the community which I know you do. People who have little interest in history will often gain an ember from your spark :read2:
 

Dman

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Feb 10, 2006
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

Way to go. Congrats on making banner!
Dman
 

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Woodland Detectors

Woodland Detectors

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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

CRUSADER said:
4-H said:
CRUSADER said:
well done on the banner, & I understand that some of your success is due to iron digging, love the junk increase your results :notworthy: keep doing what you know works, & clear those sites
Thanks Crusader.

Coming from a man with "9" Banners, I respect the compliment.

Banners are not important, what is, is the enjoyment gained by finding something you like, not everyone will share this, but it keeps us searching for more rare/interesting finds. Plus the giving back to the community which I know you do. People who have little interest in history will often gain an ember from your spark :read2:
Cheers!

And thanks Doug!
 

Hill Billy

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Jun 3, 2007
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

Congrats bud on your find, the pistol to me is clearly a Liege. The mark on the side is pretty obvious.
I'm glad yours made the banner because mine didn't. Thanks Jeff of Pa.
 

RGINN

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Oct 16, 2007
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

Congratulations on the banner....AGAIN! You don't see me here much because I just don't think the railroad spike it took me two hours to find today is all that cool. Apparently miners didn't have any money to lose and never lost their guns. They left me their bullets and square nails though!
 

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Woodland Detectors

Woodland Detectors

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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

RGINN said:
Congratulations on the banner....AGAIN! You don't see me here much because I just don't think the railroad spike it took me two hours to find today is all that cool. Apparently miners didn't have any money to lose and never lost their guns. They left me their bullets and square nails though!
Well thank you for coming over and replying. I'll be over in "my daily pics" in a minute to drool over those awesome Colorado pictures you and Maria take! :hello2: Thank you again my friend. :)
 

KRAZYHORSES

Hero Member
Aug 17, 2010
648
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

NICE FIND! you could have it fixed. their isn't much to the action and the rest is easy. you have the main piece. good luck and keep digging KRAZYHORSES
 

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Woodland Detectors

Woodland Detectors

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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

KRAZYHORSES said:
NICE FIND! you could have it fixed. their isn't much to the action and the rest is easy. you have the main piece. good luck and keep digging KRAZYHORSES
I need to donate it to the museum in the county it was dug. Maybe I'll mention that to them.
Thanks!
Your avatar is crazy man.
 

Tnrelicman

Sr. Member
Mar 2, 2010
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

Congradulations on the Banner once again buddy, keep up the streak!!!!
 

Ironman!

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Mar 25, 2009
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

Wow, what an outstanding day you had 4-H! Congrats :hello2: And then to donate to the museum is mighty generous of you!! Kudos go to you for that. Saving history and then sharing with all to see is what it's all about, WTG!!

IM
 

romeo-1

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Jul 29, 2005
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Re: Single shot percussion "boot pistol" from the 1830's period

Very cool find! I recently found a 19th century pistol but not as old and not as AWESOME! Congrats on the banner!
 

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