Lead - bullet or something else?

[The Beep Goes On]

The small whitish lead piece in front of the ring...

I think I've found something similar before, but don't know what it is for sure.

 

[Tony in SC]

Looks like a pistol ball. The the loading lever will make that kind of rounded form on very soft lead. Tony

 

[The Beep Goes On]

We were thinking it might be a pistol round...it's the same color as a 3 ringer dug up nearby.

 

[Monty]

Is the bottom flat, concave or hollow? Any idea what the diameter and weight is? Does it have any cuts around it that would have been made by rifling as it was fired? I am thinking it's perhaps not a bullet. If it wasn't fired and the circle on the nose was made by loading , it should have a hole in the nose where a bullet puller was screwed in. If fired it should have rifling marks and some distortion where it struck the ground. Just my thoughts. Monty

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Is the bottom flat, concave or hollow? Any idea what the diameter and weight is? Does it have any cuts around it that would have been made by rifling as it was fired? I am thinking it's perhaps not a bullet. If it wasn't fired and the circle on the nose was made by loading , it should have a hole in the nose where a bullet puller was screwed in. If fired it should have rifling marks and some distortion where it struck the ground. Just my thoughts. Monty

Good thinking Monty. I will report back in a while.

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

Is the bottom flat, concave or hollow? Any idea what the diameter and weight is? Does it have any cuts around it that would have been made by rifling as it was fired? I am thinking it's perhaps not a bullet. If it wasn't fired and the circle on the nose was made by loading , it should have a hole in the nose where a bullet puller was screwed in. If fired it should have rifling marks and some distortion where it struck the ground. Just my thoughts. Monty

I agree with the groove suggestion. The partial three ringer, found nearby, did show some grooves. The grooves seemed a bit unsual in that they did not appear to have been caused by lands and grooves yet, still had a spiral-like direction as would have been caused by rifling.

Not to highjack the thread but, to give a visual comparison of Monty's assessment.

Nice find Beep.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Thanks B.I.T.

Here's some details on the item...

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

I see what appear to be grooves under the patina. I think you have yourself a pistol round. Did you find that in the same depression near the three ringer?

 

[The Beep Goes On]

I see what appear to be grooves under the patina. I think you have yourself a pistol round. Did you find that in the same depression near the three ringer?

Could be...it was in that area, but not close.

 

[Monty]

Hmmmmmm.... It looks like it might have some kind of striations on the sides. I have just looked in my reference book, "Civil War Projectiles II" and maybe figured out what it was. On page 68, Item 6 they show a round ball that was paper or cloth patched that was elongated when fired in a rifled barrell. It looks much like the slug in question. However, I have not been able to find an illustration of a paper or cloth patched round ball for a revolver. All the .44 caliber paper patched revolver bullets are conical bullets with hollow bases. And I cannot find an example of a paper patched round ball in a .44 caliber rifle. I know for a fact that round balls loaded in a revolver are loaded without patching and then the mouth of the chamber is coated with some kind of grease to prevent cross firing. But if the bullet was under sized they may have added some kind of patching to keep it from falling out of the chamber. So, I can't say for sure what it is, just what it might have been? Monty

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Cool...it is pretty wierd. I was looking at an unused .44 ball last night and I couldn't really see how it could become what is shown. The dimensions are intriguing, though, being close enough to .44 to make it seem non-coincidental...maybe another type of round, like you mention, could be it. Thanks Monty