CONFEDERATE 12 GAUGE PINFIRE SHELL!

[zaxfire69]

First off Happy New Year to everyone! I had a couple of hours to dig this morning. I walked into a little wooded area to try my luck. I got in and started finding junk, pulltabs..Almost left..Then zip zip the sound of lead. Dug down about 6 inches and out pops a 3 ringer. After that I started a grid. I am glad I did. Found more 3 ringers and a Couple of round ball. Right before I left I got a real jumpy Nickel signal on the F75. I almost didn't dig it thinking it was another pulltab..Thats when the 12 Gauge Pinfire shell came to light. I believe it to be an 1861 Eley London 12 gauge pinfire shell. I believe this could be Confederate by origin. I can not believe it survived underground for all these years. I can almost bet i won't dig another one of these in my lifetime. I hope you all enjoy the pictures. Thanks for looking. zaxfire69

12 Gauge Pinfire

Finds cleaned up.

 

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[jamesbibb]

Yes sir thats a tough one congrats!

 

[zaxfire69]

Thanks Jamesbibb. I'm still excited over this find.

 

[mobile miner]

Great find on the pin fire. I`d have to agree your not likely to find another.

 

[sekypaleo]

Very nice!

 

[rebeljim52]

Great finds.

 

[VOL1266-X]

Nice Finds Z!!! I have never seen one of those. What # in the M & M book. Very interesting. HH, Quindy.

 

[zaxfire69]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Vol1266-x I am looking for the number. I'll get back with you.

 

[Theakiki]

Nice Finds Z!!! I have never seen one of those. What # in the M & M book. Very interesting. HH, Quindy.

I'm with you.
I would not have had a clue!

 

[zaxfire69]

Well guys I have found a 16 gauge on Sgtrikers site. This one is a 12 gauge.

This one is on SGTRikers site.

I'm still looking for more images..These are not easy to come by on the internet.

 

[dirt diggler]

Sweet find never saw one before . I'm not sure but wasn't that a double barrel?

 

[zaxfire69]

Dirt Diggler I believe you are right. Early in the war the Confederate Cavalry carried the double barreled shotguns. I'm still researching. It is hard to find anything about it. I'm still looking.

 

[PEles]

Re: Nice find here's one I found last year in S.Carolina

and you're right they don't seem to be dug very often, congrats

Laszlo

 

[zaxfire69]

Thanks PEles. Man I have been looking and there is so little information about the Pinfire. My friend in Vicksburg dug a pinfire pistol cartridge a few months ago. He told me the Confederates used them early in the war. Until today I had never seen a pinfire shotgun shell. Thanks everyone today was a good day.

 

[clovis97]

Wow!!! Nice find!!!

Can someone help this newbie to CW relics out? How did these shells work? What type of gun?

Sorry to ask dumb questions!!!

 

[treasurehound]

Man I finds tons of shells from those 12th GA boys but never a pinfire. Nice recovery.

 

[Chug And Red]

Wow!!! Nice find!!!

Can someone help this newbie to CW relics out? How did these shells work? What type of gun?

Sorry to ask dumb questions!!!

Its not a Dumb Question I want to Know also Thanks Chug!!!

 

[Iskuli]

very cool

 

[Confederate 1]

Well neighbor, I pulled 4 of them from park the 31st....One in good condition and you can read the base lettering. Also pulled 3 more tent tension tools and 8 three ringers, 1 Indian head 1896, piece of an old file triangle type and 1 very small hoe head that I want you to put in your electro pot for me...Will show you finds tomorrow. Sheel bases were reading iron on F5 but as I dug deeper tones changed to coin signals. Also found some odds pieces of jewelery of some type. Same area I found 1800's state seal buried.

 

[elee]

Chug..to answer your question, pinfire shells were an early form of shell that did not require an external ignition source. They were fired by the firearms hammer striking the extruding pin, which is set into a percussion cap inside the base, which in turn ignited the powder. Prior to this system, the percussion cap was placed separately on a exterior nipple after loading the powder from the muzzle..or from the breech in the case of a few CW era carbines. The pinfire system was invented by Casimir Lefecheaux in 1828, but did not see popular use until the 1850's. By the 1880's, modern centerfire and rimfire shells had made pinfire obsolete. Today's shells are referred to as "centerfire", or "rimfire". Centerfire shells use a soft alloy cup pressed into a recess in the shell base, containing a pressure sensitive ignition compound and a tiny anvil. The firing pin strikes the primer compressing the ignition compound agaist the anvil..igniting the powder. In a rimfire shell, the priming compound is placed in the hollow rim of the shell case. The firing pin strikes the rim of the case, compressing the compound and igniting the powder. There were several rimfire firearms in use during the civil war, most notably the Spencer carbine in 56-50 rimfire, and the Henry lever action in .44 rimfire. There were no centerfire cartridges in use during the CW. It is rare to find a CW era pinfire shell. The guns were expensive, usually imported from Belgium, Paris, or London. Shells were also costly, and relatively fragile. Safety was another issue, as a blow to the exposed pin could ignite the shell accidentally. The great majority of shotguns used in the CW were muzzle loaders, using the traditional exterior percussion cap. Unless found in a known encampment or battlefield site, it would be difficult to prove CW provenance with regard to a found pinfire shell. They were used extensively in sporting shotguns..far mare than their use in wartime. Even so, they are rare in any case...I have dug thousands of rimfire and centerfire shells..never a single pinfire! A nice find, and I hope my post has not put everybody to sleep!
Happy New Year
ELee