[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Accyexplorer

Well,I managed a few hrs out with my detecting stick this afternoon.
I decided to have a few hrs on a local pasture permission that I haven't really been on much,the weather was very mild and I wasn't too disappointed with the finds either.

9 lead musket balls
4 rotten shell casings
2 ornate buttons
2 threpenny bits
1 lead Baltic flour bag seal
1 old 5p (shilling)
1 georgey penny
2 ornate candlestick holder things all washed down with a lovely sunset


Attachment 54816

The calibre of Musket balls was determined by weight 10 to the pound was .577, The old Brown Bess flint lock, when they were first converted to breech loaders by Snieder they were stiil .577, but within a short space of time another breech loading conversion changed it to .577/450, same case and head size but necked down to .450, the next rifle was completely new, same cartridge, but the rifle was the Martini Henry, falling block breech loader.
The first breech loading cartridge cases were made from 5 pieces of thin brass sheet formed round a wooden former, held together to the steel head by the primer pocket & squeezed together, the wrapped brass forming was done by children as young as 9, price in an old catalogue £4-10s per 1000.