Musket Balls

[Coilcop]

Actually did some searching to see if these things had any value, and was surprised to see them selling in a range of $15-30 dollars each, guess I'm going back to grab the rest. Have 48 so far, but know there are hundreds more

[pris]

Whoa! Talk about paying for your MD!!! Congrats

[Coilcop]

Still curious if I will ever find anything else there. Stands to reason that I will, but as of yet, have not found anything. I did find what appears to be a half part of a barrel of a gun. It is only an inch long, so it isn't a complete barrel. If you envision a gun barrel, try to envision it sawed exactly in half, that's what I found. I am heading there today to see what I can find.

[julieburger]

It may be tht you have to clear out the musket balls before you really hear the oeher things. I would think they would be loud. Congratulations.

[pris]

Now THAT'S the kind of trash I would like to have to deal with. It sure would be nice to have to clear out $15 - $30 pull tabs to get at the silver dimes.

[julieburger]

I'm with Pris on this one. I would love something valuable that I needed to get out of the way instead I have a huge cache of foil and soda cans. Oh and don't forget the ever popular Rusty Nails.

[Coilcop]

I know what you mean Julie usually the way it is for me too, kind of got lucky here.

[Winger Ed.]

Originally Posted by Coilcop

appears to be a half part of a barrel of a gun. It is only an inch long, so it isn't a complete barrel. If you envision a gun barrel, try to envision it sawed exactly in half,

Is it about a inch long and a tube shape?
Or like a tube cut length ways?

If its still a full tube, or like a little piece of pipe, its a guide/protector for the crown on the end of a finely made rifle barrel. Common infantry muskets didn't have one. Target and sharpshooter/sniper rifles always did.

They were cut from the barrel itself when it was made, then had 1 or 2 pins put in it. When loading, you put it over the end of the barrel to protect the crown, or finished part of the barrel's end as the ram rod was slid up & down. Rubbing the ramrod against the end of the inside of the barrel, even a few times will destroy the accuracy of a rifle.

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[Coilcop]

It is an inch long and tube shaped, but it only looks like half of it. Basically if you cut the barrel of a gun off 1" in length, and then cut that in half lengthwise, that is what I found.

[Winger Ed.]

Interesting.

It might be from a rifle barrel that split, and someone just sawed off the bad part.

They didn't make pipe or rifle barrels back then like they do now. Back then a common/cheaper musket's barrel started off as a long, flat strip. The armsmaker or often a blacksmith heated it red hot, and just hammered it over a solid rod. You take it right to the melting point when you do that, and if done right, it really does weld itself together. However, it's not as strong as a modern seamless tube.

If a rifle is fired with a mud plug in the barrel, it will often split like that. Sometimes even a modern one. They sometimes don't just split open like a seam opening up, they more nearly shatter like you'd see on a cartoon.

If that's what happened, when the damaged part was sawed off, you'd get segments or pieces of the barrel like you describe.

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