★ Musket balls? Flints? Infantry pin? I need some help here please...

[Minrelica]

Well after about 3 years of running into a certain acquaintance that I see at a local watering hole every once in a while and talk treasure hunting with, he finally agreed to take me to his spot where he claimed to find musket balls, many just on top of the soil in a wooded area. He agreed only after I informed him that I had a metal detector he could use if he took me there. Once we arrived I realized that I've hunted about 100 yards from that very spot but only found a few coins. Once we started hunting it didn't take long for me to find my first "ball"... I ended up with 4 full ones and 2-3 smashed ones that are not pictured due to me misplacing them... I also found a shell casing stamped F A 7 02. The balls all weigh 25g and I included both a penny and caliper reading for size reference.





After about 30 minutes of hunting with my friend I noticed he was talking with someone... It turns out that his buddy had been hunting that area for some time and was really protective over it so when he heard that I was being shown the same spot, he showed up to meet me and see what I was all about... Well, 5 minutes after meeting him he invited me over to his car where he pulled out a shoe box of some of his finds from that area over the past couple of years.





There were many more items but these are 3 that I told him I would post for him to find out exactly what they are... Unfortunately this person passed away less than a week after I met him so I won't be able to pass along the information but I would really like to know...

Are these musket balls?
Is the pin possibly a 10th infantry band leaders pin?
Are these flints?

I know virtually nothing about any of these subjects so any input would me much appreciated.

 

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[donkarlos]

Neat stuff - I don't see any flints there. Not sure what those are

 

[Minrelica]

Neat stuff - I don't see any flints there. Not sure what those are

I was thinking that without a doubt those were some sort of flint strikes or something along those lines... He said that he almost tossed them out because he figured they were junk.. I'm glad he kept them and shared with me.

(for the record there are only 2 pictured, I photographed the front and back - also, the balls are 25g and not 2.5 as originally stated)

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Need to see photos of the pin's back to ID and date it.

Your cartridge-casing was made for use in a US Army .30-40 Krag Rifle. It was the "standard" US Army rifle from the 1890s until it was replaced by the Model-1903 Springfield .30-06 Rifle. The marking "F A 7 02" stands for Frankford Arsenal July 1902.

Its presence in the area you found the lead balls suggests they might be antipersonnel balls from early-1900s US Army "Shrapnel" shells.

In case anybody here is wondering:
Yes, the Army conducted live-fire artillery practice in rural areas of the US prior to World War One. We relic-hunters dig the balls and fuzes from early-1900s artillery shells along the banks of the James River here in Virginia. The fuzes are typically marked "Model 1907."

 

[DCMatt]

Post Spanish American War musician collar insignia.



That is right in line with CBG's info on the cartridge casing and balls.

Do those square "flint" things have stone in them? Brass covering? Hard to tell from the pics.

Sounds like a cool site to hunt....

DCMatt

 

[taz42o]

Are the "flint things" maybe flat cells from old zinc carbon batteries?

 

[Viminacium]

Yes,thats musket balls... nothing much to tell about them. I hate them because im finding them everywhere.

 

[Minrelica]

Need to see photos of the pin's back to ID and date it.

Your cartridge-casing was made for use in a US Army .30-40 Krag Rifle. It was the "standard" US Army rifle from the 1890s until it was replaced by the Model-1903 Springfield .30-06 Rifle. The marking "F A 7 02" stands for Frankford Arsenal July 1902.

Its presence in the area you found the lead balls suggests they might be antipersonnel balls from early-1900s US Army "Shrapnel" shells.

In case anybody here is wondering:
Yes, the Army conducted live-fire artillery practice in rural areas of the US prior to World War One. We relic-hunters dig the balls and fuzes from early-1900s artillery shells along the banks of the James River here in Virginia. The fuzes are typically marked "Model 1907."

That post was a great deal of help... Everything you stated is right in line with the location of the site... Thank you for the input!

 

[Minrelica]

Post Spanish American War musician collar insignia.

View attachment 709068

That is right in line with CBG's info on the cartridge casing and balls.

Do those square "flint" things have stone in them? Brass covering? Hard to tell from the pics.

Sounds like a cool site to hunt....

DCMatt

Very nice ID Matt.

The stone in the "flint" things was a little rough and seemed like a striking surface of some sort which is why we came to the conclusion they may me flints or flint strikes or something along those lines... I'm unsure if the casings were brass or not, sorry... Unfortunately, I will never see them or the pin again unless I find my own.

Thanks!

 

[Minrelica]

Are the "flint things" maybe flat cells from old zinc carbon batteries?

Hmm, they didn't appear as though they were a part of anything else at any time... Also, I'm not sure it's possible for the rest of the battery to disintegrate and the cells stay in this condition? (providing I'm thinking of the same type of battery)

Yes,thats musket balls... nothing much to tell about them. I hate them because im finding them everywhere.

It would take a truckload of them to make me hate finding them... I'm just happy to have such a spot to hunt... They are few and far between around here

 

[BosnMate]

View attachment 709110The flat things are probably not for holding flints. During the era of the flint lock rifle and musket, in some cases the flint was clamped in the jaws of what was then called the "cock" but is now called the "hammer" with a flat piece of lead. In the picture you can see the lead at the rear of the flint. People still shoot muzzleloaders, and in fact I own and shoot them myself, however it's not recommended that lead be use in the jaws of the lock, because you stand a good chance of springing the jaws. Something has to be used to grip the flint though, otherwise the jaws won't hold it, so we use leather in place of the lead. I think that leather was probably used more than lead back in the day also, except I can't prove it. What you have doesn't look to me like it would hold the flint in place. Here is a photo of one that I have.View attachment 709136This one is intended for a Brown Bess musket, and has never been used. A used one would be crumpled where it had been wrapped around the flint.

The pictures aren't coming through for some reason, I'll try again.

 

[Minrelica]

BosnMate, Thanks for the info. I really didn't know what I meant by stating that the square things looked like flints... I certainly didn't think that they would hold flints. At first glance they appear to have a surface which something may have been struck against.

 

[Sc14fan]

The balls could of went inside a cannon ball.