Lead ID needed

[Bigcypresshunter]

Found 2 old lead pieces in a beach trench and one (upper right)lead cone in my yard. Any ideas?

 

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[romeo-1]

The upper left piece is a fired minie ball...no idea on the other two...

 

[trk5capt]

The upper left piece is a fired Minnie ball...no idea on the other two...

I Agree With R1, But It Also Looks As Though The Round Was Blown Through Which Sometimes Happened When The Powder Charge Was Too Large Or The Lead Was Poor. trk5capt...

 

[Angelo]

The one on the bottom resembles a fishing sinker.

 

[DCMatt]

Does the hole go all the way through the cone? If so, looks like a nozzle for a sand blaster. Although lead would be soft for that application.

The curvy one might be an automobile wheel balance weight.

DCMatt

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Does the hole go all the way through the cone? If so, looks like a nozzle for a sand blaster. Although lead would be soft for that application.

Yes the whole goes all the way through.

The upper left piece is a fired Minnie ball...no idea on the other two...

I Agree With R1, But It Also Looks As Though The Round Was Blown Through Which Sometimes Happened When The Powder Charge Was Too Large Or The Lead Was Poor. trk5capt...

Do you really think this is a minnie ball? A solid bullet like the one I have pictured for size can be blown clear through? I didnt know that. I wonder how that got on the beach.

The other soft lead is not a wheel weight, it was found with the other piece and was bent in a circle as shown. (before I straightened it looking for markings)

 

[dugupfinds]

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,58717.0.html

Yes definately a bullet, see above. Mine were from Enfields, Snider, & Martini-Henry Rifles.

Found lots similar to yours.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thank you dugfinds, trk5capt, & romeo.
"As originally designed by Minié, the bullet had a small iron plug in the base whose purpose was to drive forward under the pressure of powder gases to fill the hollow space and expand the lead skirting to grip the barrel's rifling. As finally adopted by the United States Government before the Civil War, however, the skirt of the bullet base was made slightly thinner and the plug omitted, as the pressure of the powder gas alone was sufficient to expand the skirt to engage the rifling".(from Wikipedia).
I can see now why some bullets were blown out clear through.

I am surprised to find something that old on a South Florida beach only 4 feet deep. My bullet has no grooves. Does this mean it was a smooth bore? Can anyone ID?

below pic is from dugfinds.

 

[dugupfinds]

Top right of the picture are grooveless as well.

I think it means they were muzzell loaded (paper cartridge .450) like the Enfield Rifle which started in 1853 but they used them for a good 50 years. So date would be 1853 - 1900 ish.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Yes. Enfield-Pritchett. Mine is over 1/2 inch diameter...probably .577 caliber. I found some on e-Bay.
I am going to have to search that spot some more. Maybe a common find for CW area... is unusual find for South Florida. The other piece of lead was inches from it.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180063942521

 

[lonewolfe]

things that make you go "hmmmm"

nice finds!

 

[diggummup]

Wow, that is unusual for this area.Joseph Young didn't even start building this town until the early 1920's,until then it was for the most part, uninhabited I believe.Here is a photo of the Casino at Johnson street in 1924.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

There were no white men living in the area before the turn of the century, and no bridge to the barrier island. Maybe someone on a boat took a pot shot at an Indian on the beach, or came ashore and shot at a bear. I guess he missed.

The trench on the beach that I have been working doesnt go up to Johnson Street. I wish it did. The old Casino would be a good spot. The broadwalk is still in its original location.