Bullet ID and Age

[Lane]

I had posted this along with an IH under coinshooting stories, but maybe this is a more appropriate place.

I dug this lead bullet at 4 the other day in a remote wooded area of a local park. The park dates to the late 1880's. It looks like .380 caliber and it has a hand carved x on the tip. I don't know much about firearms or ammunition and as such have no idea as to the age of the bullet.


If anyone has idea please chime in.

[sectshun8]

Your .38 there is probably more modern than you'd like to hope. A lot of people see the rings on the bullet and immediately think to themselves, ooh, this has got to be from the Civil War, when in cases like this, that's most likely not true. I'd be willing to bet that bullet may not even be 50 years old. The X on the tip was probably filed there by hand. One would do this so that when the bullet strikes a living target, it has a better chance of fragmenting and causing more internal damage.

[OkieDigger]

I'd go with 1940's or 50's. The lack of oxidization, the caliber and bullet shape tell me it's not very old (relatively).

[woodwizard]

from the condition of bullet I'd say that whoever fired it wasn't much of a marksman -if it had hit its mark it would be smashed or have other damage to it.still a nice find