Someone long ago had a very bad day!

[dts52]

I was working an area about 60 yards from an old cellar hole and came upon a small elevation overlooking a swamp. I thought to myself what a perfect place to sit and hunt. Then I found this. Octagonal barrel flintlock (note the touch hole on the side). I wonder whether the shooter was injured. My guess is mid-1800s? Any information is welcome. I can't locate any marks on the barrel. Would you folks suggest a vinegar bath or naval jelly?
HH
dts

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[GB1]

dude that is sweet

 

[dts52]

Thanks gold boy! I was pretty stoked!

 

[relic nut]

That's a great find! Maybe electrolysis. If it where mine, I might lightly wire brush it. But that's just me.

HH, RN

 

[dirtlooter]

very awesome find, and you are very right about not being a good thing. but for any one that loves blackpowder (bought 1st one in 1973) or history period, totally awesome! Bad things happened here and there for many reasons but that thing was modern stuff back then. congrats

 

[dts52]

Thanks, relic nut and dirt looter. Think I'll try electrolisis. I also got my first flintlock (Thompson Center Arms 50 cal Hawken) in 1972. Certainly a challenge to hunt with that thing due to the long delay between the flint igniting the powder in the pan and the main charge going off. Scared the heck out of a number of deer! Never did get one with that thing. Everyone thought I was nuts... they were right!
HH
dts

 

[scruggs]

Nice relic!

 

[sutphin]

NICE FIND.

 

[Underwonder]

Kudos to you for knowing what this is! I would have filed it as iron junk. How did you know?

 

[mk4125]

Ahhhh...reminds me of my youth when we would do smart things like wedging a shotgun shell into the notch of a tree and using our BB guns as the firing pin.

 

[Tpmetal]

Ahhhh...reminds me of my youth when we would do smart things like wedging a shotgun shell into the notch of a tree and using our BB guns as the firing pin.

Atleast you were smart about it, I was about 9 or 10 when we stuck them in a vise in my cousins garage and just hit em with a tack hammer.

 

[Tpmetal]

Cool find with the barrel! Must have had a really bad day. I'm assuming they lived though because otherwise you might have found the rest of his wearable metal near by!

 

[mk4125]

Atleast you were smart about it, I was about 9 or 10 when we stuck them in a vise in my cousins garage and just hit em with a tack hammer.

. Oh...you mean like slowly tapping a .22 shell down so that its about the size of nickel and then with one last "WHACK" small pieces of brass and lead go flying everywhere and your kid brother (who was under my care) gets hit in the ear and bleeds all over the place? We never did anything like that.

 

[Tpmetal]

. Oh...you mean like slowly tapping a .22 shell down so that its about the size of nickel and then with one last "WHACK" small pieces of brass and lead go flying everywhere and your kid brother (who was under my care) gets hit in the ear and bleeds all over the place? We never did anything like that.

HAHAHA yup sounds about right in line with most of my childhood. Then they made the mistake of teaching us chemistry later on.....

 

[GB1]

Atleast you were smart about it, I was about 9 or 10 when we stuck them in a vise in my cousins garage and just hit em with a tack hammer.

dude that is very nuts

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Considering what that is and the circumstances of the loss, I vote Banner.

 

[Silvermonkey]

A very cool find.

 

[Tpmetal]

dude that is very nuts

We were "a handful" according to my parents. We used a laundry basket filled with heavy stuff as a counterweight to lock a babysitter in the bathroom one time while our parents all went christmas shopping. Tied it to the door knob and hung it over the stairs, then went about our business for 3 hours. Apparently she was quite traumatized from that and never talked to the family again.

 

[Carolina Tom]

Well done sir. That is very neat relic. That was a BIG loss for someone... makes for a nice find for you though.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Kurios1]

We were "a handful" according to my parents. We used a laundry basket filled with heavy stuff as a counterweight to lock a babysitter in the bathroom one time while our parents all went christmas shopping. Tied it to the door knob and hung it over the stairs, then went about our business for 3 hours. Apparently she was quite traumatized from that and never talked to the family again.

Flipping loving this thread! Been laughing hysterically and hope I don't wake my neighbors after 1:00 a.m. Thanks for the good medicine and reminders of my own dysfunctional upbringing.