What's this?

[CAPP0]

Dropping this in the Lounge because, well, I don't know what it is (although I have an idea), so I can't target a specific forum.

MrsC found a number of these this week in a field where she works, looking after people's dogs. What do you reckon? It's lead, quite weighty for what it is, about 25g.

[Vaud]

A coin. HTH.

[CB2152]

It wouldn't be a musket ball sort of thing would it?

[CATD8H]

A musket ball maybe?

[Big Al.]

Can you define a closed up split in the lead ball? if you can it might be what anglers call a swan shot.

[CAPP0]

What looks like a split seems to be a casting mark, there's no actual split in it, closed-up or not.

[AMG Merc]

Musket ball, not uncommon in the ground. Get the missus a decent metal detector for your next anniversary pressie, you might be onto something there

[Shaw Tarse]

Musket ball would be my guess.

[CAPP0]

If it is a musket ball, is it safe to assume that it's very old? I'm not sure what lead looks like when it's been in/on the ground for a long time.

Since there has been a local complainant about the dog field (it's fairly remote but there are a couple of houses at the top of the field, one of them constantly complains, simply because they wanted to buy/lease the field to extend their garden and lost the tender), I was concerned that someone might be lobbing these off with a catapult at the dogs?

[AMG Merc]

CAPP0 said:

If it is a musket ball, is it safe to assume that it's very old? I'm not sure what lead looks like when it's been in/on the ground for a long time.

Since there has been a local complainant about the dog field (it's fairly remote but there are a couple of houses at the top of the field, one of them constantly complains, simply because they wanted to buy/lease the field to extend their garden and lost the tender), I was concerned that someone might be lobbing these off with a catapult at the dogs?

Well, yeah. When do you think lead balls were last manufactured for use in firearms? A musket ball won't look any different today to when it first lay on the ground, just dirty. Clean it, you might get a clue. And, wondering where a youth would get a supply of lead balls for their catapualt anyway. Have you check historical records for your area?

[Big Al.]

If somebody wanted to buy Lead balls for a catapult just take a trip to your local angling store, they will sell loads of different size ball ledger weights, they will have a hole through them though.

[CAPP0]

I guess I would just expect it to be more oxidised if it was a few hundred years old. But good call on the history, I'll see what I can dig up.

[bomb]

My friend ( a farmer) had land where battles were fought during the English Civil war, and he often found musket balls in the ground. They were always white in colour with a form of covering over the ball itself. Yours looks very new.

[LivingTheDream]

I've got one - hang on and I'll get a pic. Yours isn't old and the swan shot suggestion is a good one. If it is the thumbnail in r split and will open up very easily.

[LivingTheDream]

[glenrobbo]

It's a dog lead.

[NDA]

Vaud said:

A coin. HTH.

Hahahahaha

Made me laugh.

[CAPP0]

LivingTheDream said:

Yeah, that's what I'd expect an old one to look like. Definitely no split on mine, just a seam from the mould.

[GBGaffer]

AMG Merc said:

Well, yeah. When do you think lead balls were last manufactured for use in firearms? ...

Sorry to rain on your parade, but you can buy ball ammunition today. Anyone with a (licenced) black powder firearm can purchase
same from a gun dealer. You can also manufacture it yourself from scrap lead using a bullet mould and an electric crucible.

Cheers

G

[Laurel Green]

GBGaffer said:

Sorry to rain on your parade, but you can buy ball ammunition today. Anyone with a (licenced) black powder firearm can purchase
same from a gun dealer. You can also manufacture it yourself from scrap lead using a bullet mould and an electric crucible.

Cheers

G

...or make your own-->