COULD SOMEONE IDENTIFY THIS PLEASE!!!!????

[jaybreezy58]

I was doing a building check as part of my patrol route, and while walking around I happen to look down and spotted this in the parking lot nestled up against the curb. This past Wednesday night the DPW was flushing the hydrants out on the main road and the water trickles into the parking lot. I am in an area in Massachusetts where the Ponkapoag Indians lived (Paul Reveres hometown). Could anyone tell me if this is what i think it is or is it just a heavy ball of nothing??

Thank you!
Jim Briggs

 

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[gunsil]

Grape shot, mill ball or ball bearing, but kind of big for a ball bearing. All would have been made of iron.

Ball bearings are made of steel, not iron, and they oxidize differently than iron. Ball bearings come in much bigger sizes than the one shown, think trucks, loaders and industrial equipment.

 

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[Gare]

Will a Magnet pick it up ?

 

[Boss Mike]

I was doing a building check as part of my patrol route, and while walking around I happen to look down and spotted this in the parking lot nestled up against the curb. This past Wednesday night the DPW was flushing the hydrants out on the main road and the water trickles into the parking lot. I am in an area in Massachusetts where the Ponkapoag Indians lived (Paul Reveres hometown). Could anyone tell me if this is what i think it is or is it just a heavy ball of nothing??

Thank you!
Jim Briggs

It's a Cannon ball

 

[Georgivs]

Given your story I'd have to lean towards hydrant check valve ball.

 

[Almy]

The ruler shows it to be slightly larger than 1/2", possibly .69" which is standard for Brown Bess era muskets (bore was .75 but the balls were made smaller and patched if there was time or just loaded bare if in a battle). If it's lead, that's likely what it is. Good find if so. You can tell whether lead by getting its density. If it's a musket ball, you probably don't want to mark it, which is another way of telling. Lead is a very soft metal that marks easily and shows a grey metallic colour in the scratch.