Gun Barrel? Need help!

[ekeisler]

Found this at my new plantation house site. The 3rd photo shows melted copper on the end of the "barrel". I'm not sure if it's a gun barrel but a .69 caliber musket ball fits nicely in it. Also found near it was a confederate fuse underplug and 3 confederate ball fragments.

 

[Red James Cash]

Since theres no breech plug maybe its a cut off barrel.A shorter musket for better handling when on horse back.

 

[ekeisler]

That's what I was thinking it might be

 

[NOLA_Ken]

If you can... clean as much rust off as you can at one end, and measure the thickness of the metal with a good digital caliper. That will help determine if it is gas pipe or a musket barrel.... It looks a bit thick for a musket barrel to me, in the pic at least.

 

[ekeisler]

I do not have a caliper. I've been meaning to get one but haven't gotten around to doing so.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I do not have a caliper. I've been meaning to get one but haven't gotten around to doing so.

Well if you can get it measured, if the wall thickness is more than around 0.2- 0.3 inches it's probably not a musket barrel.... or at least not the muzzle end.

 

[ekeisler]

Well if you can get it measured, if the wall thickness is more than around 0.2- 0.3 inches it's probably not a musket barrel.... or at least not the muzzle end.

It's about 0.125 in. thick.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It's about 0.125 in. thick.

That's around the right thickness... you may well have a musket barrel!

 

[ekeisler]

That's around the right thickness... you may well have a musket barrel!

Yes! Thanks man! I'll get it checked out with a couple of people and post the results.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

Let me know how this goes!

 

[ekeisler]

Let me know how this goes!

Will do! Addam thinks it could be a landscaping marker.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

Will do! Addam thinks it could be a landscaping marker.

There's only one problem I would see with it being a barrel is if it didn't have rifling on the inside. Anymore finds popping up from that site?

 

[Red James Cash]

There's only one problem I would see with it being a barrel is if it didn't have rifling on the inside.

Muskets didnt have rifling,only rifled muskets had rifling.

 

[ekeisler]

There's only one problem I would see with it being a barrel is if it didn't have rifling on the inside. Anymore finds popping up from that site?

I think it could be a smoothbore. But I've found another top to a polygonal confederate ball.

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

Muskets didnt have rifling,only rifled muskets had rifling.

The Civil War rifled muskets had rifling though, correct?

 

[SCDigginWithAK]

The Civil War rifled muskets had rifling though, correct?

Ah I see my mistake here Red James.

 

[ekeisler]

The site is colonial/civil war era. So it could be from either era.

 

[Red James Cash]

The Civil War rifled muskets had rifling though, correct?

Yes they did have rifling.But some Calvary men liked using smoothbore muskets with the barrel cut down while engaging on horse back.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Ekeisler wrote:
> I do not have a caliper. I've been meaning to get one but haven't gotten around to doing so.

Harbor Freight Tools (website, and physical stores) is currently having a very good sale on calipers. I prefer the analog dial version, because it never needs a new battery. Also, I prefer one which measures in thousandths-of-an-inch, not millimeters. (But some battery-operated Digital ones have a switch so you can do both inches and millimeters.) Get a stainless steel one, because the "composite" (plastic) ones wear out, becoming inaccurate. Also, if you search the website, you'll find a coupon (or code) good for 20% off the price of one item.

Search results for: 'caliper'

 

[ekeisler]

Ekeisler wrote: > I do not have a caliper. I've been meaning to get one but haven't gotten around to doing so. Harbor Freight Tools (website, and physical stores) is currently having a very good sale on calipers. I prefer the analog dial version, because it never needs a new battery. Also, I prefer one which measures in thousandths-of-an-inch, not millimeters. (But some battery-operated Digital ones have a switch so you can do both inches and millimeters.) Get a stainless steel one, because the "composite" (plastic) ones wear out, becoming inaccurate. Also, if you search the website, you'll find a coupon (or code) good for 20% off the price of one item. Search results for: 'caliper'

Thanks Cannonball Guy!