Bullet ID

[Diggin'PA]

I found these 2 relics which look like small lead bullets encapsulated in corrosion... I was able to pick off some of the corrosion as seen in the photo...These were found at a CW camp site and they were approx. 6" deep... I've never seen any with corrosion on them... so are these period or modern? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[parsonwalker]

You sure it's corrosion and not remnants of wood?

 

[Diggin'PA]

You sure it's corrosion and not remnants of wood?

pretty sure its corrosion. Would remnants of wood mimic the appearance of corrosion?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It is actually not "corrosion," it is concretion. The difference in the meaning of those words is important. When those words are used in reference to excavated relics, corrosion means deterioration (an "eating away") of a metal relic. Concretion is a build-up of other material on top of the relic's original surface.

I've dug many bullets which show thick brown-ish concretion atop the bullet's original surface. That typically occurs in highly acidic damp soil... such as low-ground near a marsh, creek, swamp, or in a pine forest.

Your photo shows you've scraped away some of the concretion, exposing the bullet's original surface. That surface looks somewhat green-ish. If it actually IS green-ish, that would indicate your bullets are "copper-jacketed" bullets. (The lead bullet has a thin copper covering over the lead.) Copper-jacketed bullets date from around 1900 to the present.

If the somewhat green-ish color is just an optical illusion (and thus they are not copper-jacketed), I'll set aside that issue in order to answer your question. You asked "Are these period or modern?" I assume by "period" you mean civil war period. Your bullets' short length, small diameter, and body-shape indicate they are pistol bullets from the latter-1800s into the 20th-Century, not from the civil war era.

 

[Diggin'PA]

It is actually not "corrosion," it is concretion. The difference in the meaning of those words is important. When those words are used in reference to excavated relics, corrosion means deterioration (an "eating away") of a metal relic. Concretion is a build-up of other material on top of the relic's original surface.

I've dug many bullets which show thick brown-ish concretion atop the bullet's original surface. That typically occurs in highly acidic damp soil... such as low-ground near a marsh, creek, swamp, or in a pine forest.

Your photo shows you've scraped away some of the concretion, exposing the bullet's original surface. That surface looks somewhat green-ish. If it actually IS green-ish, that would indicate your bullets are "copper-jacketed" bullets. (The lead bullet has a thin copper covering over the lead.) Copper-jacketed bullets date from around 1900 to the present.

If the somewhat green-ish color is just an optical illusion (and thus they are not copper-jacketed), I'll set aside that issue in order to answer your question. You asked "Are these period or modern?" I assume by "period" you mean civil war period. Your bullets' short length, small diameter, and body-shape indicate they are pistol bullets from the latter-1800s into the 20th-Century, not from the civil war era.

Thanks Cannonball, you are a valuable resource... the color/hue is not green, the green tint may have been due to indoor lighting when I took the photo last night. it looks tan/gray. Should I clean the bullets or leave them as they are? and if cleaning is recommended whats the best way to remove the concretion?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Post-1865 fired bullets have almost no value, unless they are Military ones from a historic battlesite, such as an Indian Wars battle. So, the only reason to clean the thick encrusted concretion off of yours would be to try to identify them precisely (such as, a .38 Smith & Wesson bullet, etc.).

I can't give you specific advice on the best way to remove the thick concretion without knowing its texture and hardness. For the ones I've found that are as heavily concreted as yours, I've used a pocketknife blade to VERY gently scrape away "most" of the concretion, or tapped on it gently with the narrow edge of a large file to chip it off. You've got to do it extremely delicately when you get close to the bullet's lead body, so that you don't damage it.

 

[Diggin'PA]

Post-1865 fired bullets have almost no value, unless they are Military ones from a historic battlesite, such as an Indian Wars battle. So, the only reason to clean the thick encrusted concretion off of yours would be to try to identify them precisely (such as, a .38 Smith & Wesson bullet, etc.).

I can't give you specific advice on the best way to remove the thick concretion without knowing its texture and hardness. For the ones I've found that are as heavily concreted as yours, I've used a pocketknife blade to VERY gently scrape away "most" of the concretion, or tapped on it gently with the narrow edge of a large file to chip it off. You've got to do it extremely delicately when you get close to the bulet's lead body, so that you don't damage it.

Thanks for the cleaning advice.... and appreciate the help.

 

[Old Dude]

Congrats on the finds. Bullets are quickly becoming my favorite things to recover. Thanks for the post and thanks to CBG for his usual great input. Always interesting things to learn on this forum.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I am going to guess steel jacketed 9mm Makaron bullets brought home by a Korean War vet. - or someone shooting surplus Makarov ammo.