Weekend CW relic hunt

[Mach1Pilot]

Got out over the weekend with the usual gang of FortBedfordBob, DeArmittPA, and Life is Good.... None of us found anything earth shattering, but nonetheless we had some fun in two old camps. I haven't posted much lately, thought I'd throw these out there.

The GPX 5000 was humming right along in the hot VA soils... the first picture is all of the finds.

I added a separate picture of four small lead items... items that I have not been able to ID. Can anyone help? Two are turned one way, two the other direction, with a 3 ringer for size reference. I would have cast them off as junk except I found four of them over a large area.

And the round nose bullet was odd - see how it kind of wants to "crumble".

The curved piece is from the hilt of a cavalry saber.... we have found several parts of it now over several hunts. Still looking for the rest of it.

Thanks for looking!

 

[allen]

looks like you had a good day of detecting to me !

 

[cntrydncr1]

good hunt!! congrats

 

[VOL1266-X]

You had a good hunt M1. Maybe the unknown lead pieces were cut from a .58 cal. 3 ringer and flattened for poker chips. CBGuy will know if he sees your post. HH, Quindy.

 

[RiverRat3]

I found same lead circles before. Was told they covered the tops of nails and would come off. Found them all over a farm field. Thought they were CW era since they were mixed with a lot of CW bullets. Great hunt though.

 

[treasurehound]

Congrats on some great recoveries. I was in Virginia myself this weekend and had a great time hunting as well.

 

[BosnMate]

I've found unfired 45-70 cartridges dating to the 1870's, and the bullets are crumbling like the one you show. I blamed it on electrolysis between the gilding metal (copper) case and the bullet that also probably contained antimony to harden it. Yours is the first bullet not in a cartridge that i have seen that has done that. I suspect that it isn't pure lead, it was cast with something to harden it, and suffers from electrolysis. Muzzle loading bullets are generally cast of softer pure lead, but in a pinch they don't have to be. At any rate, it's interesting.

 

[Getty]

Nice pile of lead!

 

[Mach1Pilot]

Thanks guys. I can buy the notion that these odd lead pieces are from nails.... its a site with a high concentration of iron.

It was a blast, that's all I can say!

 

[Dman]

Nice CW finds. That GPX5000 is an awesome machine.
Dman

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Hey y'all didn't do too bad. I was out swinging my Minelab GPX this last week as well. Try that 15x12 Minelab Commander coil next time. I also tested out the ferrite ring to see if really made a difference, (with, and without) and I couldn't believe how much more stable the machine was.
Take care,
Tell Bob I said hello
Mike