My first musket ball find!

[Moresound]

Grape shot to be exact.
My friend George pointed out that there are teeth marks in it.

someone had to bite the bullet while undergoing surgery or amputation!!! :shocked05:

[coinnut]

Congrats on your first round ball!!!:clapping:Sometimes animals chewed on them too. I hear that pigs get a hold of them. Not sure if it's true or not.

[aloldstuff]

:congrats:on the musketball. I have heard that soldiers chewed them to make them a more deadly projectile, theory being that the chewed ball would do more damage than a smooth one.

[chief5709]

Congrats on your find. Any pixs? I would assume if it had teeth marks that it is lead. I'm with coinnut, it probably is from animal biting on it. Soldiers chewing on lead balls is more myth than fact.

[Moresound]

Looks to have a human molar pattern but who knows.

I'll have to get my camera/download to site skills up to par.

[chief5709]

:congrats:on the musketball. I have heard that soldiers chewed them to make them a more deadly projectile, theory being that the chewed ball would do more damage than a smooth one.

I would think any accuracy you had would be lost and being out of shape could jam your musket if they did that. There are several research projects supporting that most likely the chew marks are from animals (especially pigs).

[MangoAve]

George, I confused you with being Dan for a minute. :lol: . Don't quote me, but I thought I heard from the YTC meeting in May, from either the woman in charge speaking about the pequot museum study, or the special guest there with a few musket balls and three ring civil war type had mentioned sometimes a soldier would have a musketball in their mouth ready to load the next shot. To save them a little time.

[del]

Don't quote me, but I thought I heard from the YTC meeting in May, from either the woman in charge speaking about the pequot museum study, or the special guest there with a few musket balls and three ring civil war type had mentioned sometimes a soldier would have a musketball in their mouth ready to load the next shot. To save them a little time.

Jim , you are correct Laurie at the Pequot presentation did mention that the English soldiers "practice" was to have a couple of lead ball in their mouths ready to load in a hurry. I also found a few shot with teeth marks on them so I don't think it may have been that uncommon .

[Timewarpdigger]

Congrats for the finds. Safe & HH