silver colored ball

[littlebird13]

found this at an old farm house only 1-2 inches down. Quarter in picture for size. Is it some kind of ball bearing. isn't rusted at all.

 

[lucky1777]

Is it lead?

 

[BioProfessor]

Looks like the lead musket balls I've found. For some reason, some come out of the ground pretty much the way they went in. At least the unfired ones.

Daryl

 

[Leon]

Looks about the right size for a "Pinball".
Slainless steal maybe?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

The standard industry classification for the steel in these bearings is 52100, which means that it has one percent chromium and one percent carbon (called alloys when added to the basic steel). This steel can be made very hard and tough by heat treating. Where rusting might be a problem, bearings are made from 440C stainless steel.

Is it magnetic? Can you scratch it with your thumbnail (aka "the lead test").

Looks like a 1" ball bearing. Hardness would be the key quality to check for.

 

[Foilman]

Being that I was bought up in farming and you found it on a farm, It is probably out of a wheel bearing. We use to have to put bearings in wheels of disc harrows, planters, etc. and the old combines my father had would hardly go around the field a few times without one going bad. Not just wheel bearings, there must be 100 or more bearings in one combine.

 

[littlebird13]

thanks for all the replies.

some good ideas of what it is.

its not magnetic and I can't scratch it with finger I scratched it with knife it is bright silver colored

 

[wesfrye53]

Probably stainless steel

 

[detectordave]

Prosthetic testicle? Oh man, did I say that out loud??

 

[Bluezman]

If you can scratch it with a knife then it's not a ball bearing. Ball bearings are hardened steel (very hard) and not easily scratched (unless you use carbide or something harder).

Bluezman

PS could be a stainless steel ball from a ball mill.

 

[Ammietuar]

maybe the ball form ths indise of a can of spray paint?

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Looks like the ammo I use in my sling shot

 

[wesfrye53]

Gypsy, surely you don't shoot poor, defensless little birds with stainless steel balls in your slingshot?

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Gypsy, surely you don't shoot poor, defensless little birds with stainless steel balls in your slingshot?

C

Hahah
Crows!

 

[wesfrye53]

Protecting the garden no doubt. so the correct answer to the main question is "The shiney ball is ammo for a slingshot?"

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Gypsyheart,

If you can wield a slingshot capable of hurling a 1" steel ball bearing fast enough to hit and kill a crow you are one mean motor scooter! What would that weigh? About two, two and a half ounces? Get that moving at 200 fps (the speed of a wood arrow in a good bow) and you could take down deer!

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Gypsyheart,

If you can wield a slingshot capable of hurling a 1" steel ball bearing fast enough to hit and kill a crow you are one mean motor scooter! What would that weigh? About two, two and a half ounces? Get that moving at 200 fps (the speed of a wood arrow in a good bow) and you could take down deer!

I am deadly with it! Cant shoot in town so I had to learn to be really good with the wristrocket! Pegged a crow off the top of the neighbors chimney from across the street last 4th of July! Hahahaha....Even I was amazed when it stopped dropped and rolled !

 

[swizzle]

I thought it might have been a ball that went inside of a large crotal bell. Most of those I believe were made out of iron and it would have been rusty, not silver in color. I'm gonna go with one of gypsyhearts first wild shots that missed a crow in a tree top. Swizzle

 

[ivan salis]

gypsy---- those wrist rockets with the 1/4 inch steel ball bearings that are normally sold as ammo for them are a deadly combo --- it can and will take small game like crows all day long and even rabbits (using head shots) at reasonible ranges ---with a bit practice you can be quite deadly with one (as you know)---Ivan

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I know there is no ballistic computer in the known universe as good as the human mind and do not doubt the crow croaking, but with a 1" steel ball? 1/4" I'm all over, maybe even 3/8" . . . even 1/2". But 1"? That's cannon fodder, not slingshot.

Still . . .