well is it a true ball (round shape) or is it conical "bullet" shaped ?--since knowing this would aid greatly in trying to figger out what weapon it might have gone to -- roughly 69 caliber round ball type ammo was used still as far as the civil war era * (so their are several possible american 69 caliber weapons it could have been used in) but if its a a conical minie "bulllet" type that cuts it down time frame wize somewhat as it was developed later on.
the french as far back as 1777 used a 69 caliber musket (smoothbore) charlesville type and several us muskets were 69 caliber as well the model 1795 , 1812 , 1816 and 1842 * these were all smooth bore 69 caliber weapons -- there is also a 69 caliber "rifled" barreled model 1842 model the first rifled barreled us military rifle. it was designed to fire the non patched "conical"or minie type bullets
the 1842 was the last 69 caliber US govt rifle -- in the early civil war years due tio the fact they were in the armory's these were used a lot. - large and heavy the 69 caliber conical bullets are often called "3 ringers" due to the 3 gas check rings around the sides
my bet is thus ---if the area saw civil war action , there is a good chance it came from a model 1842 model rifle smooth bore ( if round ball ) or from a rifled 18i42 if its a conical type. ---if the area saw american rev war action the 1777 "french rifle" is possible --- war of 1812 action however might have been a 1795 model rifle that fired it.
