Wired Musket (Bolo) balls

[woody50]

PS: Found an other photo on the internet of the balls.... (see later message)

I though I would let you see these double musket balls that I found. Found these on the bottom of a former (12th century harbor). The harbor had been filled in sometime in the 19th century and was now being dug out for the construction of a large building with an underground parking place. Because of environmental regulations here they had to dig the soil out until clean clay was reached. This was at the end quite a deep hole.

I searched the bottom of the harbor when the pit was about 3 meters deep, but before they dug it out completely. The harbor was very old, from the 12th Century, but I believe these were lost on a VOC ship sometime in the 17th century, because it was a busy main harbor for the VOC, who even had their own coinage back then.

Found many relics and coins, but these relics I had never seen, although I have seen about the same weapon only MUCH larger, two cannon balls connected together with an iron bar; shot out of a cannon at another ship they would spin and the idea was to break the masts so the ship could not manover anymore. A long time ago I found one of those, it's at a museum now.

But these are much smaller and connected with a wire and were used for a more ghastly purpose, to horrendous wound the sailors of the other ship. Leaving the musket they would unwind (the wire was coiled up between the two balls when new) and spin through the air until they met someone, you can imagine what they did.

Like I say originally the set consisted of lead musket balls with a coiled up wire between them, these (this is how I found them) seem to be used. But since I found them in a small area in the harbor I am thinking that some sailors played around with some of them while in the harbor, or they were unwound somehow and just dropped overboard. I have not been able to find someone else who has these bullets, but I would imagine somewhere on the net must be more information.

FORGOT to say, every ball measures 17 mm (0.669 caliber or inches), and they are not damaged in anyway, so not been fired.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[Old Dog]

Re: Double wired Musket balls

Cool finds there!
Those sure look nasty. I've seen those same type of rounds in 12 GA.
Mike

If I recall they were called bolo rounds. I don't know if you can still get them here in the States, but they were fun to play around with ten years, or so, ago. Also had what we called door knockers. They were 00 or 2 buck, wired together. when fired they were supposed to fan out like a net, hit the door and take it down. Never got to try one, but they looked nasty.

The way we used to make our own Bolo rounds was to drill a hole though a slug, then cut the slug in two slices use braided wire to connect reload the shells with the new and improved slug. They are only good up close as they loose momentum fast.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[woody50]

Re: Double wired Musket balls

Cool finds there!
Those sure look nasty. I've seen those same type of rounds in 12 GA.
Mike

If I recall they were called bolo rounds. I don't know if you can still get them here in the States, but they were fun to play around with ten years, or so, ago. Also had what we called door knockers. They were 00 or 2 buck, wired together. when fired they were supposed to fan out like a net, hit the door and take it down. Never got to try one, but they looked nasty.

Thanks, that is great, now I know the modern word for them. Tried to find out what they were called back then (17th Century) but nothing yet.
What I did find about Bolo rounds was that they were used for cutting rigging. Pirates use them to bring down sails. A variant are chainshot, replacing the wire with chain. I have read that some of the chain was 6 feet long!! Both of these types had to be used in close quarters, not accurate and not a
long range.

The heavy double cannon ball(s) that I found are called Bar Shot, although I would call them barballs I guess. Shot should be smaller. Pity I didn't take a photo of that double cannon ball. Tried to find one on the net but not yet. Jeez I am happy not to have been in one of those earlier wars! When I was searching and came across all the different shots and cannonballs that were made back then it makes me shiver.

Did find this photo of some cannonballs....

 

[Dman]

I have never seen those before. Maybe they used them as sinkers on their fishing line.
Dman