A few spikes and a couple of interesting musketballs..."bite the bullet"...

[Jolly Mon]

 

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[Zodiacdiverdave]

Nice finds, did you find these diving or on the beach somewhere.
Sure does look like someone was chewing on that MB. I like the unique ones like those two MB you found, anyone can find an ordinary round one.
ZDD

 

[Jolly Mon]

I found them wading around low tide yesterday, actually. Sometimes stuff just strikes me as interesting...in this case the "chewed" musketball...and the one with the long sprue...
I have heard several theories regarding chewed balls...
Some say they are the result of field hospital use prior to the availability of anesthesia...injured folks "biting the bullet" while undergoing amputations, having limbs set, etc.
Others say use such as this is largely a myth and chewed rounds are the result of being "hit by plows" or chewing by pigs or other animals. I have no idea. But I found the chewed ball several feet below MLLW and I strongly believe it is associated with a sunken vessel of some sort...I think this might mitigate against the "plow" or "pig" theory, at least slightly...

Here are photos of some lead ammunition...the rounds on the left were recovered from submerged marine environments, the ones on the right from terrestrial sites...
No cleaning has been done.
It is remarkable how well lead can be preserved after being buried in salt water muck for 150+ years...

 

[Salvor6]

I have seen multiple bullet molds that had a "runner". You pour the molten lead into the mold and it fills several holes at the same time. When the balls come out, you just clip the runner off. These could be balls that have not been "clipped" yet.

 

[Jolly Mon]

I have seen multiple bullet molds that had a "runner". You pour the molten lead into the mold and it fills several holes at the same time. When the balls come out, you just clip the runner off. These could be balls that have not been "clipped" yet.

Yes, exactly. Here is a beautiful example of an old "gang mold", as they are called:

click to enlarge

You can see the channel at the top. After casting, the individual "rounds" would be joined by a thin strip of lead and then trimmed by hand.

I would dearly love to find a mold like this...

 

[maipenrai]

I would think just any old stick would be better than biting a bullit, but who knows. Must be some stories by doctors or other workers in the field, that can give more light on the subject.

 

[Jolly Mon]

I would think just any old stick would be better than biting a bullit, but who knows. Must be some stories by doctors or other workers in the field, that can give more light on the subject.

Perhaps boredom. Or fear. Or malice.


click to enlarge


A chewed round MIGHT be a clue as to historical age and military connection in this context...

I am no expert on antique firearms, but it seems to me that by the time of the evolution of the flintlock mechanism, there would be no need for a soldier to hold a round in his mouth while at the ready...

But there are other possibilities in terms of motive: Boston 1775: “Both poisoned and chewed the musket balls”

 

[CaribbeanDiver]

I very often find musket balls with teeth marks. They will often fit perfectly into your teeth. I can take better photos if anyone wants them. Only the center one here has good teeth marks.

 

[PhipsFolly]

I have numerous musketballs from Port Royal with teeth marks in them...

Too bad there's no dental records from the 1600's... Could have some famous pirates teeth marks in these!! (Hehehe)

 

[Oceanscience]

Perhaps boredom. Or fear. Or malice.View attachment 712538View attachment 712539View attachment 712540click to enlargeA chewed round MIGHT be a clue as to historical age and military connection in this context...I am no expert on antique firearms, but it seems to me that by the time of the evolution of the flintlock mechanism, there would be no need for a soldier to hold a round in his mouth while at the ready...But there are other possibilities in terms of motive: Boston 1775: “Both poisoned and chewed the musket balls”

When you dig carefully in sand and mud, you often uncover a large worm. The first thing you see, is a round grey blob that looks just like a musket ball. When you spend some time digging in the same area, the fish learn to wait at your elbow and quickly grab the worm and pull it out. It stretches up to more than a foot length but they either pull it out completely or rip it and sometimes several fight over it. At a shipwreck with musket balls, sometimes what appears is a musket ball. As it looks identical to the worm, the fish grabs it, bites on it and then drops it again a few feet away. Another fish may then pick it up and drop it again. When you pick up this musket ball, you see the fresh bite marks.

 

[Salvor6]

Can you tell the difference between a fish tooth mark and a human tooth?

 

[CaribbeanDiver]

Ridiculous. Yes some fish will grab them. No they do not make marks on them anywhere need the deep indentation of a tooth.

 

[huntsman53]

If that is actually a musket ball in pic #4 and on the right in pic#5, then the person that had it did more than just bite on it. Maybe they had it in their' mouth while trying to ride out the hurricane that sunk their' ship and was chewing on it nervously. I am leaning towards something other than a musket ball but if in fact it is, it may have had just the right amount of impurities mixed in with the lead that corroded/rusted away over some 150 years or more.

 

[MPH200]

Do you realize this thread is from 2012?

 

[huntsman53]

Do you realize this thread is from 2012?

LOL, I do now!!

 

[Trez]

Yes the thread is old but so were his finds and always welcomed refresh to maybe spark someones knowledge.
Here is a site that has very good information on lead shot (click on some of the highlighted blue lettering to open further into that link) some really great information on many various leads.

A Woodsrunner's Diary: More on Small Shot for Smoothbores.

Fire Away !!!!
Trez

 

[CaribbeanDiver]

Still good information... Are you implying when something is old it loses value, lol.

I read an account recently that stated some Captains were brutal, beating sailors daily to maintain discipline and when the sailor was beaten he would "bite the bullet", which would account for such a high number of teeth mark musket balls on some ships, and none on others.