✅ SOLVED Help on Black Residue on CW Bullets

[Yak1366]

Of the 130+ CW Bullets I have dug, this black residue I have found on only 4 bullets. It has a flat finish. Exists in patches in the cavity, the grooves and all the way to the nose. Considering all of these are drops, it can't be barrel residue. Something from the molding process?

 

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[SteveJJ]

Could it be impurities from when the lead was being melted down for casting, oxidizing differently from the rest? If cast in the field, it might not have been cleaned with flux and just poured as is, getting some dross in the mold.

 

[lairmo]

Of the 130+ CW Bullets I have dug, this black residue I have found on only 4 bullets. It has a flat finish. Exists in patches in the cavity, the grooves and all the way to the nose. Considering all of these are drops, it can't be barrel residue. Something from the molding process?

It's not Blood because those are drops...lol. I have no clue, but I also found 4 bullets today.

 

[lairmo]

It's not Blood because those are drops...lol. I have no clue, but I also found 4 bullets today.

I just reread your last sentence and you knew that...lol

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The small black patches on your civil war yankee 3-groove Minie bullets are gunpowder-stained remnants of the tallow (the "harder" fat of cattle, sheep, etc) which was used to lubricate the bullets. The purpose of the bullets' body-grooves is to hold the lubricant. In civil war Ordnance Department documents, those grooves were called lubrication grooves, or more simply, lube-grooves. That is still their main purpose on modern bullets.

 

[Deftone]

The small black patches on your civil war yankee 3-groove Minie bullets are gunpowder-stained remnants of the tallow (the "harder" fat of cattle, sheep, etc) which was used to lubricate the bullets. The purpose of the bullets' body-grooves is to hold the lubricant. In civil war Ordnance Department documents, those grooves were called lubrication grooves, or more simply, lube-grooves. That is still their main purpose on modern bullets.

Seeing these made made me recall an old Aquachigger video explaining this. If you guys have not heard of him check out his youtube channel. Very addictive and binge worthy. Nice finds.

 

[Yak1366]

The small black patches on your civil war yankee 3-groove Minie bullets are gunpowder-stained remnants of the tallow (the "harder" fat of cattle, sheep, etc) which was used to lubricate the bullets. The purpose of the bullets' body-grooves is to hold the lubricant. In civil war Ordnance Department documents, those grooves were called lubrication grooves, or more simply, lube-grooves. That is still their main purpose on modern bullets.

Thanks TCG! Is it your opinion that all those are fired rounds?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

None of those four Minies you found has been fired. They were dropped with the paper cartridge (and its gunpowder charge) still on them. That, and the soil chemistry, explains how bits of the tallow got stained black.

I should mention... a fired Minie-bullet ALWAYS will show at least some subtle signs that it is a fired one. I've found Minies that must have been fired with the gunbarrel pointing well above the horizon, because they show no impact-damage at all. (They flew entirely airborne until they simply "ran out of gas" and plopped down comparatively gently onto the ground.) But even those do show at least slight rifling-marks, or tiny axial (lengthwise) streaks from their trip through the gunbarrel.

 

[Rogue Relic Hunter]

Seeing these made made me recall an old Aquachigger video explaining this. If you guys have not heard of him check out his youtube channel. Very addictive and binge worthy. Nice finds.

I have been watching Aquachigger for quite some time. He is not a the level of CBG, but he knows quite a bit and has an AMAZING civil war relic collection. I have learned from his videos and also enjoy them. Another young guy is named Nugget Noggin and his videos are fun to watch when he detects rivers. Just something to do when not out relic hunting myself.

I just learned quite a bit from CBG's latest post in this thread. great stuff!

 

[Davers]

The small black patches on your civil war yankee 3-groove Minie bullets are gunpowder-stained remnants of the tallow (the "harder" fat of cattle, sheep, etc) which was used to lubricate the bullets. The purpose of the bullets' body-grooves is to hold the lubricant. In civil war Ordnance Department documents, those grooves were called lubrication grooves, or more simply, lube-grooves. That is still their main purpose on modern bullets.

I was gonna say powder residue as well, I have many Spencer & Burnside's where the powder has corroded the bottoms of the bullets ,(they had the metal Cases tho) ; I know you know this already. lol

I like the points on his Minnies , do you think they are Confederate , IYO of-course ?

 

[Davers]

I have been watching Aquachigger for quite some time. He is not a the level of CBG, but he knows quite a bit and has an AMAZING civil war relic collection. I have learned from his videos and also enjoy them. Another young guy is named Nugget Noggin and his videos are fun to watch when he detects rivers. Just something to do when not out relic hunting myself.

I just learned quite a bit from CBG's latest post in this thread. great stuff!

NN & AC are good hunters but I can not watch their videos , as they make me commit the 'Sin' of Envy with every nice find.
Can not watch Detecting shows either. lol