✅ SOLVED 12" Barrel with fuse hole?

cannonball

Hero Member
Feb 20, 2010
760
3,699
East Coast NJ
Detector(s) used
DEUS 11 Fisher F75ltd,TDI Minelab Excailber
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I recently dug this up on a late 18th- mid 19th century site in New Jersey. It seems like some type of tapered barrel with a fuse hole. Toy cannon? I can't figure this one out. Any ideas??? Any input is much appreciated..:BangHead:.. 13a.jpg13.jpg
 

Hard tellin.
IF that's a hook style breech the hole is on the side. Vs usual cannon touch hole on top.(?)
A flintlock touch hole maybe. Or if threaded it could have held a drum ,which held a percussion nipple.
 

Upvote 0
I think you got it releventchair:hello2:. It lines up with 18th century flintlock pistols. I'll try to get more rust off to see if I can find a Makers mark. I'll go back tomorrow and see if I can find more of it. Nice I.D. sir, thank you
 

Upvote 0
IMO... This is not cannon related in any way. (I know it is not)
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0
I'm with AARC on this one. Lets see a picture of the large hole on the end. And the other side, does the small hole go through? How heavy is it? Could be anything but not seeing the cannon/fuse connection from pics posted.
 

Upvote 0
12" Barrel with fuse hole?

You found a flintlock pistol barrel cannon ball. The touch hole is too small to be where a percussion drum would have gone, so I think rust has opened the touch hole a bit. Cool find, now go look for the rest of the gun!

By the way, it has a standard breech plug in it, but it looks like part of the tang has broken off, probably why the barrel was discarded.
 

Upvote 0
Hmm, I’ve been an antique gun collector and restorer of flintlock guns for over 40 years. So IMO I believe I to be a barrel from a flintlock pistol. I’d have to have it in hand to be 100% sure, but that’s sure what it looks like to me.
 

Upvote 0
Here’s the breech of a barrel still attached to the broken stock. The barrel had been in percussion and the drum is missing, so the touch hole is a good bit larger than yours. Also, the tang on this one is intact.ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1578839725.245425.jpg
 

Upvote 0
Looks like the attachment bar found on swing sets and part of the bolt hole has rusted away. That's my guess unless we can have different angles of the back area and also of the top/thickness of the metal. It sorta looks like it could be octagonal, but can't tell with all the rust. That would change my mind if it is.
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0
I think I can barely make out the octagonal shape... Starting to see similarities to flintlock pistol posted above... OP more details...
 

Upvote 0
Here’s the breech of a barrel still attached to the broken stock. The barrel had been in percussion and the drum is missing, so the touch hole is a good bit larger than yours. Also, the tang on this one is intact.View attachment 1789194

This is a resemblance for sure... and who know perhaps you are on to something here...

But again... I stand by this having nothing to do with cannon... toy OR otherwise.
 

Upvote 0
If you zoom into the first pic, the apparent flat bevel on the right side is in the same proximity to the hole in the pic that fullstock posted. Then if the second pic is oriented top of pistol up, the touch hole and the tang position match up with fullstock's pic as well. That thing has been decomposing for who knows how long. Way to see the details, nice ID, I think I am a believer. Hand cannon!
 

Upvote 0
If you zoom into the first pic, the apparent flat bevel on the right side is in the same proximity to the hole in the pic that fullstock posted. Then if the second pic is oriented top of pistol up, the touch hole and the tang position match up with fullstock's pic as well. That thing has been decomposing for who knows how long. Way to see the details, nice ID, I think I am a believer. Hand cannon!

Minus the word "cannon". heh
 

Upvote 0
Thanks Guys!! When I found it it was just a glob of rust among an iron infested site. I got a little more rust off of it today and it really starts to line up with a 12" barrel from a British Navy Sea Service Flintlock Pistol. Fullstock would know much more. It is the barrel to a flintlock pistol and I will clean it up a little more and see if I can find the rest of it. I did find half of a powder horn, a carved lead chess piece, Civil War Knickerbocker Token, 1820's silver spoon, and a few other goodies at that site. Thanks again for the input:icon_thumright:
 

Upvote 0
Thanks Guys!! When I found it it was just a glob of rust among an iron infested site. I got a little more rust off of it today and it really starts to line up with a 12" barrel from a British Navy Sea Service Flintlock Pistol. Fullstock would know much more. It is the barrel to a flintlock pistol and I will clean it up a little more and see if I can find the rest of it. I did find half of a powder horn, a carved lead chess piece, Civil War Knickerbocker Token, 1820's silver spoon, and a few other goodies at that site. Thanks again for the input:icon_thumright:

Very cool find Cannonball!
 

Upvote 0

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top