THE HUNT IS OVER

[gldnbrew]

I got a chance to get into the woods on Saturday with my new F75 LTD form Bart, which I thought would be my last time this year. It turned out I was able to get one more days hunt in on Tuesday. That is it for the year now, got 6" of snow cover. Anyhow I will begin with my June hunt. While detecting the 1812 battlefield, I am researching, I found a pistol lock with the side plate attached (1/2 cock position), trigger guard and the butt cap with screw. After that find I sent about an hour combing the area, nothing. This would continue all summer long.



I have sent at least 15 - 16 hours looking for the barrel, no luck. Then in the first part of October I found the lower ramrod pipe, it was 40' S of the other parts, now I concentrated here and nothing.


Well Saturday I was in the woods for 5 hours and sent most of that time looking for the barrel, again no luck. After finding a couple of musket balls and it was getting late I started walking out, swinging on my way. About 1/2 way out I got a good signal and dug it, yep it was the barrel (loaded with a ball). Now what is puzzling, the barrel was 250' N of the lock and other parts still trying to figure that out.



Tower of London "crossed scepter" PROOFS, circa. 1770's-1810 and the Belgian mark of "LEG, ELG" for Liege, Belgium, circa. 1780-1810. Now that I know the proof marks what do they actually mean or tell me. I know that the pistol is a Ketland and not military issue.



On the trigger plate the letter "H" appears to be engraved or scratched in, could it be the owners initial? I understand that owner's marks were generally put on the top of the barrel or on the wrist escutcheon plate. Any help here would be appreciated. The only part that is still needs finding is the upper ramrod pipe to complete all the parts.

On to Tuesdays hunt with the F75. What is amazing about this machine is it's depth. I dug a grapeshot at 12 -13 inches and it is a good thing I decided to take my entrenching tool, courtesy of Uncle Sam, because I would of given up with just my little digger. I was the full depth of the Pro Pointer before it sounded off. I have never had that kind of depth with my ATPro in the woods. I have been finding things my AT missed and a whole lot deeper. The F75 is so sensitive that I could not carry the entrenching tool by my side,I had to carry on my shoulder. All in all I am very happy with the F75 and it is a nice compliment to the ATPro.

Also looking for some advise on the best way to clean the barrel, it is brass. I don't want to clean the trigger plate and take the chance on the "H" being removed.
Thanks for looking.

 

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[pepperj]

What a cool recovery(s) and congrats on sticking to it! It's hard to grasp why or how the parts got so spread out from each other, was the gun destroyed by somebody and pitched? I think that having an animal packing off the barrel 250' away isn't possible as the gun had to rot apart first which would of taken a century.
Regardless it's a beautiful piece of history and save you managed to get.

 

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[pepperj]

Just a thought and forgot to ask you what depths were these parts?

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Lock, stock (well no stock) cock, and barrell, congrats on putting it all together. At least all the metal parts. Yes it is some mystery why some of the parts are so far apart, but hey that is metal detecting...or hunting, and it IS NOT gathering, so good job putting it all together.

Any of the parts are a good find, but putting it all together is,... well a treasure hunters puzzle finished. Congrats my man on "finishing a puzzle".

I found a half of a belt plate last year, and I don't think the other half is ever going to surface...bummer.

 

[treblehunter]

I have hunted it hard for two years, April - December and they still elude me. There has to be just one somewhere out there in the battlefield. Till next spring


Happy hunting to thous who can continue to hunt. Catch ya here on T-net.

Might take some time, an area that big is the proverbial needle in a haystack. Maybe find a iron patch then really grid it. I'm sure you have done everything you can think of. I feel your right, somewhere there has to be a spot they camped, sat down, ate, gone over battleplans, something?

Very good work on a great find. A gun smith could easily get that ball out of the barrel. I wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't be able to do a full restoration, if you got the right gun smith?

 

[time machine]

gldnbrew some years ago I found a flintlock and plate on a parcel of state land near the Oriskany Battle field. I also put
a lot time into trying to find the barrel and other parts but I failed. My failure wasn't because I didn't try but I was told
very politely to stop metal detecting this site. Apparently someone blew me in and the worst part is the state put a building
and paved parking lots on this land a couple years later. Gldnbrew it just shows that persistence and patients usually pays off.
Congrats.

 

[Dirtfishinman]

Keep in mind this was found at a battlefield. Lead flying all over, explosions , etc... The man carrying this pistol could have been hit by a nearby explosion. Things can end up in very odd places after an explosion.

 

[BuckleBoy]

This is really a fantastic find. I personally use toothpick method (outlined in my "how to clean buttons" in the preservation section of the forum) rather than water, for brass items. But it all looks good, and hope that the lock plate turned out well with electrolysis.

-Buck

 

[CRUSADER]

Very nice 'set' of finds - its not something we find over here, congrats....

 

[park pirate]

Awesome..

 

[gldnbrew]

Just a thought and forgot to ask you what depths were these parts?

All within 3 inches

treblehunter

"A gun smith could easily get that ball out of the barrel."

I am going to leave it in. I do talks on the battle and I think it is cool that it is still there.

time machine

"gldnbrew some years ago I found a flintlock and plate on a parcel of state land near the Oriskany Battle field. I also put
a lot time into trying to find the barrel and other parts but I failed. My failure wasn't because I didn't try but I was told
very politely to stop metal detecting this site. Apparently someone blew me in and the worst part is the state put a building
and paved parking lots on this land a couple years later. Gldnbrew it just shows that persistence and patients usually pays off.
Congrats."

Awh! the wisdom of NYS, worried that you are recovering (stealing) & preserving history, now it is gone forever. I am fortunate to be working with an archaeologist that understands that they just can't do everything and this battle is not even on their radar. I GPS everything and plot in Google Earth, believe it or not you can see the battle progression and where the troops were in relation to each other by the musket ball finds.

 

[pepperj]

All within 3 inches

Just throwing this theory out there.
It was just that you mentioned the area had been logged, and depending on the methods that were used it could of disrupted the terrain little or a lot. Certain areas are second or even third growth trees and it still looks like a forest, the one thing that gives the replanting away is the orderly fashion that the trees are growing.That being said there's an area that's in my area that's seems very forested, but I told this past season that it was a millet/grain fields 60+ years ago. Skidding logs by a team of horses can still disturb the soils many inches down and it could drag a find along many feet. Just a thought as why the barrel was so far away from the lock and other parts. If there was an explosion and the soldier was blown up, I'm sure there would be a button or two laying around the area.

 

[GaRebel1861]

Thats one heck of a find and surely will display very nicely! Congraulations.

 

[Old Dude]

You have found something that I believe any of us would love to find. I have to agree with you in your decision to leave the ball in the barrel...it would take away a great part of it's story and appeal. Pepperj made a very good point about logging operations disturbing the ground and that being possibly the reason for the distances between the parts. Dragging the logs with horses or mules can push dirt to the depth of a few inches and of course 20th century methods can disturb it even more since they usually will create logging roads, drop yards and loading areas.
I believe your find would warrant some professional cleaning and restoration. Congrats to you.

 

[CRUSADER]

All within 3 inches

treblehunter

"A gun smith could easily get that ball out of the barrel."

I am going to leave it in. I do talks on the battle and I think it is cool that it is still there.

time machine

"gldnbrew some years ago I found a flintlock and plate on a parcel of state land near the Oriskany Battle field. I also put
a lot time into trying to find the barrel and other parts but I failed. My failure wasn't because I didn't try but I was told
very politely to stop metal detecting this site. Apparently someone blew me in and the worst part is the state put a building
and paved parking lots on this land a couple years later. Gldnbrew it just shows that persistence and patients usually pays off.
Congrats."

Awh! the wisdom of NYS, worried that you are recovering (stealing) & preserving history, now it is gone forever. I am fortunate to be working with an archaeologist that understands that they just can't do everything and this battle is not even on their radar. I GPS everything and plot in Google Earth, believe it or not you can see the battle progression and where the troops were in relation to each other by the musket ball finds.

That is what some are missing by not GPSing, you get to see a much clearer site when its all plotted, it also leads you in directions you hadn't thought of 'on the ground'.

 

[gldnbrew]

As promised here are some pictures of the cleaned lock (as far as I dare go) and for fun a picture of the barrel and lock together. If I consider restoration where would I start or whom to contact? Gunsmiths around here are not into restorations.

 

[ArDirtSlinger]

Your determination to find the whole pistol is inspiring and a Lesson to us all. To never give up and search out your Treasures till success is obtained.. BTW GREAT FINDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

Serious hunting on this find ! A lost flintlock pistol, complete with the intact flint is exciting .

You are one Lucky son of a gun , no pun intended , to get on a Rev War Battlefield , now that's history ! Good Luck with the Fish , I luv mine !