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Bullet ID please
Metal Kiwi  
Posted : Sunday, 18 March 2012 3:34:12 PM(UTC)
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Hi All,

I have recently found these two lumps of lead which I assume are bullets as they look like bullets.
They were found in 2 separate parks here in Auckland and no doubt others will have found them
elsewhere around NZ too.

Does anyone have a positive ID on them please.
There are no rifling marks, hollow at one end and weigh about 32 gram.
Dimensions are approximately 14mm x 26mm.

Chris.

Edited by user Sunday, 18 March 2012 3:44:00 PM(UTC)  | Reason: no image

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rgmcbrid  
Posted : Sunday, 18 March 2012 9:44:44 PM(UTC)
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Don't really have any idea what they are; but the do not look fired which is why they do not have rifle marks.
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Metal Kiwi  
Posted : Sunday, 18 March 2012 9:58:33 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: rgmcbrid Go to Quoted Post
Don't really have any idea what they are; but the do not look fired which is why they do not have rifle marks.


Yes that is what I thought too.
I have wondered if maybe they are not bullets - but what are they if not?
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DrunkBrother  
Posted : Sunday, 18 March 2012 10:09:57 PM(UTC)
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Might be construction bullet, like the one below :
UserPostedImage
*2014*Rings PlT/PD=0 GOLD=30 STG=53 Junk=46
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Lammerlaw  
Posted : Sunday, 18 March 2012 10:27:17 PM(UTC)
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They are probably Snider or Enfield bullets but do fit into the Minnie bullet category - they have a hollow in the base into which a wooden or clay plug was fitted - this plug was forced under the pressure of the exploding powder further into the tapered hollow to force the skirting at the bottom of the soft lead bullet further into the rifling grooves to give a perfect seal thus increasing accuracy and range.

The lack of any sign of rifling grooves is in all probability due to the oxidisation and the shallow grooves of the rifling of the Sniders or Enfields and this combination has in all likelihood erased any traces of the rifling.
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Metal Kiwi  
Posted : Monday, 19 March 2012 6:22:45 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Lammerlaw Go to Quoted Post
They are probably Snider or Enfield bullets but do fit into the Minnie bullet category - they have a hollow in the base into which a wooden or clay plug was fitted - this plug was forced under the pressure of the exploding powder further into the tapered hollow to force the skirting at the bottom of the soft lead bullet further into the rifling grooves to give a perfect seal thus increasing accuracy and range.

The lack of any sign of rifling grooves is in all probability due to the oxidisation and the shallow grooves of the rifling of the Sniders or Enfields and this combination has in all likelihood erased any traces of the rifling.


Or perhaps they have not been fired?

Do you have any idea on age of these Lammerlaw?
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Lammerlaw  
Posted : Monday, 19 March 2012 8:34:31 PM(UTC)
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They will be pre 1900 in all probability - the Sniders had long since passed out of military service by 1900 but many were in the hands of hunters and thus could have been fired well into the 20th Century.
In any case in all likelihood dates prior to 1900 but if Enfield could go back to the 1850s and earlier - I have found similar with very little and no sign of rifling due to oxidation, may have been unfired or may have been fired from a smooth bore though I doubt it.

I might even be tempted to consider muzzle loader - they might be more likely to have no grease grooves which might make them scarcer or slightly unusual but there were bullets like that.

Your ones are well oxidised and all sign of rifling could have long gone. I have just examined some similar fired projectiles I have here and one of them has the merest line to indicate it came from a rifled musket - I have put on three projectiles - you can see rifling grooves in the bullet without grease grooves but the snider bullet has only the merest hints and it is not as oxidised as your bullet

You can also see how the plug in the hollow base of the fired projectile has been forced further into the projectile to force the skirt of the bullet into the rifling grooves and in the unfired projectile on the left the plug is flush with the end of the projectile.

Edited by user Monday, 19 March 2012 10:52:04 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Lammerlaw attached the following image(s):
016 (450x331).jpg
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