The Duncan Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Evening all! Here's a challenge to all the bullet buffs of PW. The pics that follow were taken recently by a friend of mine who has got into metal-detecting. He discovered this bullet in an old quarry. It is lead, 8mm and approx 5 grams in weight. The head is barely deformed so I reckon it's probably a lower velocity round and hasn't hit anything too hard - possibly used in target practise? I was of half a (optimistic) mind that it might be an early Lebel (french) but more likely a revolver round (I believe that 8mm translates as about .32 cal). Hopefully someone can shed some light. Cheers chaps, Duncan :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Looks like a 38 special by them measurements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) The rear of the bullet ia a skirt, this may be a early bullet used in muzzel loading rfiled carbines the idea being the lead skirt would obturate and form a gas tight seal when the charge was ignited thus pushing the soft lead bullet into the rifling. If it is a pure lead bullet as i suspect then it would be a low velocity round. EDIT: Captain John Norton developed the round in 1823 Edited February 21, 2011 by Beretta28g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy H Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 7.65 and 80 grains (approx) = .32 acp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 A Norton/greener bullet design http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2010/05/rifling-expanding-bullets-and-minie.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duncan Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) Thanks for replies so far chaps, its starting to make sense Duncan Edited February 21, 2011 by The Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 It looks a bit long for a .32ACP. Its probably from one of the many Rook /rabbit rifles that used to be so popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter_zero Posted February 22, 2011 Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 Could very well be a .31cal pistol bullet. I can see rifling groves. Have a search for Minie ball and see what you dig up (no pun intended). John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duncan Posted February 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 (edited) Could very well be a .31cal pistol bullet. I can see rifling groves. Have a search for Minie ball and see what you dig up (no pun intended). John Thanks John, http://www.historynet.com/weaponry-the-rifle-musket-and-the-mini-ball.htm http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://scottsvillemuseum.com/forkids/Museum_in_a_Trunk/minieballforteacherswebsite.jpg&imgrefurl=http://scottsvillemuseum.com/forkids/Museum_in_a_Trunk/minieball.htm&h=720&w=576&sz=172&tbnid=Y9z34H4-2a8yrM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMinie%2Bball&zoom=1&q=Minie+ball&usg=__Y6l0iXFzyiWC-D0tm_McH8FlWHg=&sa=X&ei=wCZkTazkE4OY8QP3pbDxCA&ved=0CC8Q9QEwBQ This does look promising other than my friends mystery bullet has two gas rings rather than 3; otherwise the design looks pretty damn close to me. I'll see if I can find out more about the quarry and its history. Thanks for the pointer , Duncan Edited February 22, 2011 by The Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter_zero Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 This does look promising other than my friends mystery bullet has two gas rings rather than 3; otherwise the design looks pretty damn close to me. I'll see if I can find out more about the quarry and its history. The rings are "lube" rings, not gas rings. My guess it could have been from the Home guard who used all sorts of guns. I know of a small quarry that was used as a home guard rifle range, funny as it's only 50 yards in diameter I've found all sorts of bullets and cases in the quarry. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) Could very well be a .31cal pistol bullet. I can see rifling groves. Have a search for Minie ball and see what you dig up (no pun intended). John Its not anything from a muzzle loader its much more recent than that. The indented base is not a minie base. thats just the standard design of base used in most factory swaged lead bullets, even up to the present day. Its almost certainly not a pistol bullet either although it is possibly a .32 Special but they were never that common. It just looks to me like an ordinary old rook rifle bullet. Millions of which must be out there waiting to be picked up Edited February 23, 2011 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter_zero Posted February 23, 2011 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) It just looks to me like an ordinary old rook rifle bullet. Millions of which must be out there waiting to be picked up Certainly could be, IIRC there were a load of BSA .310 cal Cadet rifles knocking about. Excellent page here : BSA .310 John Edited February 23, 2011 by Hunter_zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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