Shooting Lead, or antique treasure?

[ord sgt]

A fellow whose screen name is Aquachigger does metal detecting in the streams around CW battle sites. He constantly finds hundreds, if not thousands of bullets. Some are undamaged but most are unfired. Many videos on YouTube. Cannon balls and rifled cannon projectiles, grape shot and pistol balls too. He even found the remnants of several rifles.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Do a hardness test. Go from there.

wm

 

[LME]

Can’t Archimedes help in determining the percentage of lead in an ingot?

I would cast a ball from some of it and weigh it. Then weigh one from the same mold that I had that I no was pure lead. It might not tell you what is in it but it would tell you whether it is pure lead or not!

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I would keep The National Lead ingot. A reminder of the last lead producer the Obama shut down

 

[JCKelly]

One uses reasonably pure lead in round balls. That Dutch boy says it is SOLDER. I bet that is the truth. Gentlemen, good old-fashioned solder contained about 36% of tin mixed with the lead, so as to have the very lowest melting point. Makes better solder if it has a relatively low melting point. That tin also makes the solder HARDER than just plain lead. So Dutch Boy is truly a lousy choice for round balls. Just for fun, why don't you keep that Dutch Boy separate, and just use it for, lets say, solder?

 

[andy52]

I cast some .535 balls a couple of months ago using linotype which is high in antimony and as about as hard as lead alloys get.
It shot just fine as a patched round ball, I wouldn't hunt with it because it would make the same size hole going in and coming out but for range fodder it's fine.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

The only reason I suggest keeping the dutch boy ingot is that the company is still in business making paint.

Dutch Boy still makes solder

 

[Whitworth]

I'd probably keep the Dutch Boy one and melt the rest.

Me too. The Dutch Boy solder is cool, the rest look like just plumbers lead.

 

[Whitworth]

As it is unrecognizable, and as it has NO documentation where it was found on what site..., it has zero archaeologic value. NOW, if you got an original mold, and recast it into ACW projectiles, and then buried them until they had a nice, thick, white patina......, which is what I wonder about when I see "bullets" for sale at Gettysburg stores.......

LD

Each of those melted bullets tells the tale of being tossed into a fire to make someone jump or the cartridge was used to start a fire. The bullet splats are the remains of shots fired in anger that missed their mark, last touched by the hand that loaded them. Being all that I too mix up some CW lead with my casting lead. I live and shoot on a battlefield area. The round balls and minies I shoot will take years to start forming a white lead carbonate coating to allow them to be mistaken for the real ones I've dug up here. Just wait until someone finds all the Whitworth bullets I've shot, they will go crazy thinking they found someplace under heavy sniper fire

 

[Marc Schmidt]

Hello William,

your 1. and 2. Picture shows Ingots from National Lead Company (now NL Industries) known for their titanium paints, creating a product line
under the name "Dutch Boy" in 1907.
Your 3. Picture shows an Ingot from N.L. Co. HOYT. It's a Bearing-Tin-Alloy known as "Babbit" for your Ford T-Model.
Babbit-Alloy includes Tin, Lead, Copper and Antimony.
Only the first is useable Lead. The solder and the Babbit-Alloy could be used as roundballs in an old Fowler. Or you could make shot out of it.

Greetings from Frankfurt/Germany

 

[nightwolf1974]

I agree with andy52, Keep the Dutch Boy melt the rest.

RM

Same......

 

[sheriff john]

I cast those things and 1-lb ingots from range lead I've salvaged over the years, sell 'em at an antique mall. Then go buy neat gun stuff. Don't know who buys them, don't care. Mark something "vintage" or "antique" -someone will buy it. Melt it, cast boolits, and enjoy. Chunk-o-lead sitting around ? Door stop perhaps. Dunno.

 

[Springerpanhead]

Y

Melt them sumbitches down son. Lead is only useful for three things, fishing sinkers, boat ballast, and most importantly ammunition.

Ya dun forgot chimney flashing

 

[William Sublette]

Hello William,

your 1. and 2. Picture shows Ingots from National Lead Company (now NL Industries) known for their titanium paints, creating a product line
under the name "Dutch Boy" in 1907.
Your 3. Picture shows an Ingot from N.L. Co. HOYT. It's a Bearing-Tin-Alloy known as "Babbit" for your Ford T-Model.
Babbit-Alloy includes Tin, Lead, Copper and Antimony.
Only the first is useable Lead. The solder and the Babbit-Alloy could be used as roundballs in an old Fowler. Or you could make shot out of it.

Greetings from Frankfurt/Germany

Hey thanks.

There were two model t's , and a pile of model t parts sold on that sale, so that makes sense.

 

[Mulebrain]

Send me the old lead, and I will ship you back the same weight in meltable lead.

PM Me

 

[ohio ramrod]

This is unrecognizable civil war battlefield lead that a relic hunter friend gave me, when I mentioned turning it into round balls some here pitch a fit because of the possible historical value. To me is is only lead and is now in ingot form for future round ball casting.
View attachment 86515

Many years ago my oldest daughter won an essay contest about the Gettysburg address and the prize was a three day expense trip to Gettysburg. While at one of the many tourist trap stores, I noticed an open door to the back room where there was a work bench with two large Lyman melting pots and a five gallon bucket beside a jar of muratic acid. I firmly believe they were making battle field found mini's.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Many years ago my oldest daughter won an essay contest about the Gettysburg address and the prize was a three day expense trip to Gettysburg. While at one of the many tourist trap stores, I noticed an open door to the back room where there was a work bench with two large Lyman melting pots and a five gallon bucket beside a jar of muratic acid. I firmly believe they were making battle field found mini's.

Say it isn't so! <sarc>

wm

 

[Daveboone]

The only reason I suggest keeping the dutch boy ingot is that the company is still in business making paint.

Hmmm, interesting observation. Same company? of course in days gone by, lead was added to paint to increase its durability.....may be the purpose of the ingots.

 

[nhmoose]

It is lead not collector items melt cast and enjoy