What Kind, How Old?

[Felinepeachy]

I find these from time to time. What kind of bullet is this and when were they made? It's flat on the bottom, if that helps.

 

[Tubecity]

We just call them maxi-balls, they were & are made so they don't need
a patch to help seal the bullet over the powder. Hard to guess the caliber
without measurements or something as scale. Can't tell if those lines are
from the mold or if it was fired from perhaps a slow-twist barrel. Doesn't
appear to have struck anything. I'm wild guessing at least .50 caliber &
have no clue as to the age. I'm sure there are many that will answer that
have way more knowledge on these than I do. Good Luck

 

[Felinepeachy]

Does this help for size?

 

[Montana Jim]

bump.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If its 10.5 millimeters diameter it would be a .41 caliber.

If its 11.5 mm it could be a .45 caliber.

 

[Monty]

Hmmmm. It has two grease grooves and a flat base. It also has no crimping groove. It apparently is a black powder bullet and since it doesn't have a hollow base it would have to be cast oversize in order to be very accurate. By being cast over size, it would be forced into the lands and as it is shoved home on top of the powder it would engrave itself. It has no engraving marks so it apparently is a drop.If I was guessing, and I am. I would think it was for a .44 caliber black powder revolver instead of a rifle. It would be tamped into the cylinder and due to the short nose it wouldn't stick out to lock up the cylinder. Then when fully seated the area around the nose would be covered with lard or some other grease to prevent chain firing. That being the case, the bullet would be fired into the forcing cone and would engage the rifling in that manner.So I am saying, probably a .44 caliber modern bullet for a black powder revolver. Or not? Monty

 

[Felinepeachy]

LOL thanks guys

 

[Buck Bagaw]

I believe it's a cast semi-wadcutter for a 44 or 45 modern handgun, not a black powder bullet. To answer others, lead bullets do not have a crimping groove, and the bullet was fired. The rifling is faint but evident in the photograph.

 

[Tubecity]

Good answer Monty. I don't think that the ball was fired either. The faint
marks on the one side could be from the mold. Never thought of it being
for a revolver, but it does make sense. What was the twist in those old
hand turned barrels, 1 in 66 or something ?

 

[TiredIron]

Are we all looking at the same pictures...? This projectile clearly has angular rifling marks evenly spaced around its circumference. These marks can not be achieved during the machining process while producing the mold, nor do you get them dropping it on the ground.
Peachy.....take a tooth brush and soapy water and clean it up a little more. Does it have five or six grooves total..??

TiredIron

 

[Felinepeachy]

Are we all looking at the same pictures...? This projectile clearly has angular rifling marks evenly spaced around its circumference. These marks can not be achieved during the machining process while producing the mold, nor do you get them dropping it on the ground.
Peachy.....take a tooth brush and soapy water and clean it up a little more. Does it have five or six grooves total..??

TiredIron

Ummmm, well it didn't seem like a keeper so I tossed it. Was that wrong?

Sorry

 

[TiredIron]

Nah......no worries. Your original pics showed enough. From what I see it was a relative modern pistol projectile, "fired" from a weapon with six lands/grooves,
with a left hand twist. You say you find these now and then....save the next one,
clean it real good and weigh it. Are all the ones you've found in this condition or are some deformed from impact? Also a measurement with an inch micrometer would be a big help.
HH
TiredIron

 

[Felinepeachy]

A lot of the ones I find are smashed into globs that you can just see the bottoms of, like they hit a wall LOL.

 

[SomeGuy]

Modern, fired, cast pistol bullet. The yellow highlights a rifling mark, and the red arrow points to where the case was roll-crimped into the bullet. Age is hard to tell, as bullets of this type have been in use from about 1930's to present.