A Perfect day Detecting, found more CW camp stuff, Weird Sharps Bullet?

[flyinryan2]

I went out after work today at our Winchester property and found a lot of bullets and some more camp goodies! All the targets were coming in very low on the AT PRO, around mid to high 40's. Some were coming in the mid 50's to low 70's but not many. I dug one Spencer bullet at 10+ inches and that one gave a good 60's tone. With the iron in the area it was hard trying to listen to the little higher tone over all the iron grunts but once i got used to it I really began digging good targets. I ended up digging 9 Spencer's, 1 Burnside, 1 Sharps, 1 Three Ringer. 18 Spencer cartridges, 8 whole ones, a button back, 1 Dandy button, My first Carved Bullet, a Brass buckle, a perfect square nail, "the mystery oval brass piece!".

I also dug what looks like a wire brush cleaner for a muzzleloader !! If this thing is CW era that would be awesome! Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

The Sharps bullet has a pointed nipple in the cavity, does anybody know what type of Sharps this would be then?
The Three ringer also has a rounded nipple in the cavity, but it may be just extra lead that rolled in there when it was made?
I love the red patina these bullets have!
The one Spencer cartridge had a perfect line punched through the bottom, does anybody know why that is?

Thanks for looking and HH!!!

 

[jewelerguy]

awesome finds. that red patina is wicked

 

[s.c.shooter]

Is the wire brush thing open on the end? If so it's possibly what was used to pull a bullet when the weapon misfired. If not it might be to to clear debris from the nipple area of the firing mechanism. Just my guess.

 

[kevo rn]

What is the piece second from the last? I have one similar to it. Neat finds, well done!

 

[Steve in PA]

That was a good hunt Ryan. I believe the three ringer with the nipple in the cavity is a Georgia Teat bullet.

 

[John Boy]

Very nice selection of relics.Is this a valve stem or something else,cause I found one this past Sunday.congrats on your finds.

 

[flyinryan2]

That was a good hunt Ryan. I believe the three ringer with the nipple in the cavity is a Georgia Teat bullet.

I thought it looked like a Confederate bullet just by the grooves were more square then angled. Thanks!

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Have you dug any bullets with the "US" in them around Winchester? Awhile back I dug several down near Winchester some had *'s in them and a few had "US" in them, out of allllllllll the bullets i've dug I have never found anymore with US in them. Winchester is still a hot spot area, so much rural area... Awesome finds!

 

[Tater Ball]

Nice finds. I was hunting in winchester myself today found my first spur, dont think it is civil war related though.

 

[flyinryan2]

Have you dug any bullets with the "US" in them around Winchester? Awhile back I dug several down near Winchester some had *'s in them and a few had "US" in them, out of allllllllll the bullets i've dug I have never found anymore with US in them. Winchester is still a hot spot area, so much rural area... Awesome finds!

No I haven't found one of those yet, I always clean the cavities out with hopes of something being in it, thank you!!

 

[VOL1266-X]

Very nice F2!! The 3 ringer may have a "teat base" usually associated with a foreign mold used by Georgia troops. The mystery oval piece is from a McClellan saddle and called a saddle guard. they were tacked on the back of the seat and allowed the soldier to tie his bedroll, slicker, etc. on by running rawhide through the slot. The patina is generally caused by being in the soil under a cedar, pine, or Oak tree. Nice relics. HH, Q.

 

[flyinryan2]

Very nice F2!! The 3 ringer may have a "teat base" usually associated with a foreign mold used by Georgia troops. The mystery oval piece is from a McClellan saddle and called a saddle guard. they were tacked on the back of the seat and allowed the soldier to tie his bedroll, slicker, etc. on by running rawhide through the slot. The patina is generally caused by being in the soil under a cedar, pine, or Oak tree. Nice relics. HH, Q.

Thanks!! There were a few cedar trees very close to where I found the bullets. The Sharps is also a teat base variety is that a Confederate variety also?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Nice finds. I was hunting in winchester myself today found my first spurr, dont think it is civil war related though.

Tater that spur of yours is civil war.. dug plenty of em, Awesome find!! love digging spurs!

 

[kuger]

Pretty sure that is a bullet worm,nice...ya dont see a whole lot of those dug!

 

[VOL1266-X]

Thanks!! There were a few cedar trees very close to where I found the bullets. The Sharps is also a teat base variety is that a Confederate variety also?

M & M #206 Sharps shows a teat base but there were many variants. That's a question for The Cannonball guy who is a bullet expert. HH, Q.

 

[matt092079]

Good hunt and a bunch of cool CW relics were dug out of this little spot. As far as the patina, everything has a thick layer of crust or crud on them and especially the bullets. The buttons are easier to clean, but the bullets pretty much stay a brownish-red.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I received an email from Vol1266X requesting my input.

The long brass cylinder with twisted brass wires on one end is a Sharps bore-cleaner brush.

The Sharps bullet with a nipple/teat is an "uncommon" variation of the common .52 Sharps bullets. It is definitely yankee-made. It is very seldom found in some states, but is not scarce at all in others (such as Tennessee).

Immediately upon seeing the sideview photo of the nipple/teat-based 3-groove minie, its unusually long nose suggested "Confederate." The base-view photo confirms that it is one of the four versions of what the McKee-&-Mason bullet book calls a "Georgia Troops" minie. (Yours is M&M bullet #390.) In my opinion, they were manufactured at the Augusta Arsenal, so that's what I call them. Reasons:
1- they are most often found in camps and trenches occupied by Georgia Troops,
2- Augusta is in Georgia,
3- several unfired CS Bormann-fuzed Case-Shot shells found in the river near the Augusta Arsenal were filled with these teat-based minies.

Vol1266X is correct, the thin brass oval with a long rectangular slot is a saddle-guard, from a US McClellan saddle ...which had four of them. See if you can spot all four in the photos below.

I should mention that they were on EVERY version of McClellan saddle, made from the `850s into the early 20th-Century. (Even the World War One version had them -- I'll include a photo of a Model-1904 McClellan, stamped with 1918 manufacture-date). So, they are not always civil war relics. But when dug in direct connection with minies & etc, you can feel sure yours is a civil war one.

 

[d2]

Great finds!!! The flat bullet with the hole appears to be a fishing sinker. I find several like that down here next to crossings and in the crossings on our river here at home...d2

 

[flyinryan2]

What is the piece second from the last? I have one similar to it. Neat finds, well done!

Very nice selection of relics.Is this a valve stem or something else,cause I found one this past Sunday.congrats on your finds.

View attachment 732964

Kevo rn, Its the carved bullet, but as Kruger said it maybe a "bullet worm".
John Boy, i think it's a valve stem,but it seems a bit small in diameter but may have went to an old time tractor.

 

[flyinryan2]

Pretty sure that is a bullet worm,nice...ya dont see a whole lot of those dug!

A bullet worm do you mean it looks like a worm? because after i cleaned it i thought it looked like a fish sorta. but now it does resemble a worm more! Thanks man!!