A Ringtail Sharps and a . . . ???

[Valley Ranger]

Went out Saturday to a new site here in the Shenandoah Valley. My partner and I are close to a Confederate winter camp - but have yet to get into anything major. Still scouting at this point as its over a 100 acre site. Anyway, I did find this fired 54 caliber Ringtail Sharps. Also found what I first believed to be a musket ball. It measures 49 caliber, as my partner pointed out, it has what appears to be a ring or mark where a rammer forced it against the powder in the breach. It is heavy, very smooth and appears to be lead. However, no white patina. I've never seen a CW period musket ball without the white coloring. What do y'all think?

 

[civilman1]

Ringtail is Nice!!!.....Have you "Miked" the roundball yet,until then we really can't tell.Nice Save's

 

[Valley Ranger]

Ringtail is Nice!!!.....Have you "Miked" the roundball yet,until then we really can't tell.Nice Save's

Caliber? It measures 49 ()
Weight? No, sorry.

 

[Steve in PA]

I don't think you have a ringtail Sharps there, the rings are cut too deeply into the bullet. Here are some ringtail Sharps dug in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Even the tie ring isn't as deep as on yours. It looks more like a New Austrian (Mason and McKee #108) perhaps. Your round ball could easily be from a modern muzzleloader, that has become a pretty popular sport.

 

[Valley Ranger]

I don't think you have a ringtail Sharps there, the rings are cut too deeply into the bullet. Here are some ringtail Sharps dug in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Even the tie ring isn't as deep as on yours. It looks more like a New Austrian (Mason and McKee #108) perhaps. Your round ball could easily be from a modern muzzleloader, that has become a pretty popular sport.

Steve - thanks for the response. My buddy was also a bit perplexed by the deep grooves. What else can you tell me about the New Austrian? Do any of them have the narrower base, like mine?

 

[Steve in PA]

I don't think you have a ringtail Sharps there, the rings are cut too deeply into the bullet. Here are some ringtail Sharps dug in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Even the tie ring isn't as deep as on yours. It looks more like a New Austrian (Mason and McKee #108) perhaps. Your round ball could easily be from a modern muzzleloader, that has become a pretty popular sport.

Steve - thanks for the response. My buddy was also a bit perplexed by the deep grooves. What else can you tell me about the New Austrian? Do any of them have the narrower base, like mine?

I see rifling marks on the base ring, and the rings above, on your bullet which makes me think they were all the same diameter when fired. The New Austrian is just a pretty wild guess on my part, it is a fairly rare Confederate bullet. I know one thing for sure, your bullet is not a ringtail Sharps. Here is some more on the New Austrian including pictures and dimensions. Follow this link.
http://www.baymediapro.com/collection/bullet_details.asp?BID=368

 

[allen]

with a 100 acre site you will find lots
of CW relics and who knows what else.

 

[EL Pirata Loco]

Awesome find!!

 

[Valley Ranger]

Thanks Allen, EPL.

Steve - were there different calibers of the New Austrian made?

 

[Steve in PA]

Thanks Allen, EPL.

Steve - were there different calibers of the New Austrian made?

Yes, the M&M 108 is .577 cal and the M&M 109 is .55 cal.

 

[Valley Ranger]

Thanks Allen, EPL.

Steve - were there different calibers of the New Austrian made?

Yes, the M&M 108 is .577 cal and the M&M 109 is .55 cal.

The base of mine measures .495 to .50. The first ring measures anywhere from .52 to .57.

 

[VOL1266-X]

I think your first bullet is a modern muzzleloader bullet RR but it has enough patina to have some age on it. I have been muzzleoading for deer in Tenn. for 30 years and we could get those bullets then. They were approx. 50 cal. The .50 cal. ball could be modern too and they used a cloth patch with it Otherwise it would have had more of a white patina on it. The exception is if it was recovered in a very wet area or under water . I think I can see a ramrod mark in one view. Modern muzzloaders are easy to take apart and push the load out the back of the barrel so you can avoid some messy cleaning. However, I am not a CW bullet expert but there are some on Tnet. HH.

 

[Valley Ranger]

I think your first bullet is a modern muzzleloader bullet RR but it has enough patina to have some age on it. I have been muzzleoading for deer in Tenn. for 30 years and we could get those bullets then. They were approx. 50 cal. The .50 cal. ball could be modern too and they used a cloth patch with it Otherwise it would have had more of a white patina on it. The exception is if it was recovered in a very wet area or under water . I think I can see a ramrod mark in one view. Modern muzzloaders are easy to take apart and push the load out the back of the barrel so you can avoid some messy cleaning. However, I am not a CW bullet expert but there are some on Tnet. HH.

Thanks!

 

[Steve in PA]

I think your first bullet is a modern muzzleloader bullet RR but it has enough patina to have some age on it. I have been muzzleoading for deer in Tenn. for 30 years and we could get those bullets then. They were approx. 50 cal. The .50 cal. ball could be modern too and they used a cloth patch with it Otherwise it would have had more of a white patina on it. The exception is if it was recovered in a very wet area or under water . I think I can see a ramrod mark in one view. Modern muzzloaders are easy to take apart and push the load out the back of the barrel so you can avoid some messy cleaning. However, I am not a CW bullet expert but there are some on Tnet. HH.

Quindy,

I agree with you on the bullet being modern blackpowder. I threw the Austrian out there as a wild guess based on the grooves, but I was thinking modern in the back of my head having got into a blackpowder firing range once. Here is a pile of bullets I dug there (don't ask me why). Notice they were in the ground long enough to develop a bit of a patina. I seem to remember one like RR's bullet coming out of there (I think my friend dug it).

 

[VOL1266-X]

I think your first bullet is a modern muzzleloader bullet RR but it has enough patina to have some age on it. I have been muzzleoading for deer in Tenn. for 30 years and we could get those bullets then. They were approx. 50 cal. The .50 cal. ball could be modern too and they used a cloth patch with it Otherwise it would have had more of a white patina on it. The exception is if it was recovered in a very wet area or under water . I think I can see a ramrod mark in one view. Modern muzzloaders are easy to take apart and push the load out the back of the barrel so you can avoid some messy cleaning. However, I am not a CW bullet expert but there are some on Tnet. HH.

Quindy,

I agree with you on the bullet being modern blackpowder. I threw the Austrian out there as a wild guess based on the grooves, but I was thinking modern in the back of my head having got into a blackpowder firing range once. Here is a pile of bullets I dug there (don't ask me why). Notice they were in the ground long enough to develop a bit of a patina. I seem to remember one like RR's bullet coming out of there (I think my friend dug it).

Steve , the Austrian is definitely the closest fit to CW. My wife and I stayed at a B & B near a battlefield in Kentucky three years ago where the B & B owner had CW bullets for sale. He had some modern muzzlweoader bullets like RR's mixed in simply because he did not know the difference until I told him. HH, Quindy.