Possible cannon ball?:

[A. F Medic]

May be OT but black powder is required.

While in Florida, I could not find a place that would let me use my metal detector. Thus I poked around in a local flea market (Webster) and saw what I thought was a cannon ball.

Vendor wanted $5.00 so I would not be out much.

The ball is solid metal with a flat sprue mark,mold mark, and a small hole intersecting the mold line. Not a fuse hole.

It weighs 6 pounds and 8 ozs. Circumference is 11 inches (28cms) measured by a cloth tape. I miked it and it showed 8.93 inches.

I went to several cannon projectile web sites but they mainly list Civil War and my ball does not match up in either size or weight. Images to follow if it quits raining!! Thanks..

Information

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[Embalmer]

def sounds like a cannon ball, most likely a rev war-war of 1812 type. Had a reference of all types of cannon projectiles somewhere, got to see if I can find it. Sounds like a british 6 pounder (or the like) projectile to me, without acctually seeing a pic.

[Badger]

Make sure it is inert ...

Here's an old thread, but still valuable....

Casualty of the Hobby (click here)

Let's be careful out there ...

Regards,
Badger

[Johnny Peppers]

A circumference of 11 inches would be a diameter of 3.5 inches. That would be close to what a 6 pounder field piece would fire. The seam and sprue don't sound correct though. A foundry in a nearby town turned out cannon balls by the hundreds years ago, and they still show up from time to time. All have the tell tale seam and sprue.
What was the 8.93 measurement? Is it a ball or a shell?

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

We find a lot of them thar "cannon balls" out here in the west. Now I don't know about your find, BUT our mines have Rod Mills to crush ore. which then is carried to BALL MILLS that grind the ore even further. The ball mills eventualy turn those "cannon balls" into heavy sand. Not everything that looks like a cannon ball is one.

I believe your small hole is simply a casting flaw.

[pdawg1911]

I grew in that area around the old Dade battlefield and that area has lots of pre-civil war artifacts as well as Seminole indian artifacts. I found a solid cannon ball in between Ridge Manor and Webster when I was kid. Also have a lot of indian projectile points. The cannon ball and a flint axe-head I had was stolen, but I still have some of the rest. I have no idea what you have, but it could be pre-civil war if locally found.

Regards,
Pat

[A. F Medic]

It is a ball. Thanks.

[A. F Medic]

A circumference of 11 inches would be a diameter of 3.5 inches. That would be close to what a 6 pounder field piece would fire. The seam and sprue don't sound correct though. A foundry in a nearby town turned out cannon balls by the hundreds years ago, and they still show up from time to time. All have the tell tale seam and sprue.
What was the 8.93 measurement? Is it a ball or a shell?

As this is all new to me, one information source said that the Confederate cannon balls usually had the seam. Can't verify though. It is a ball. Thanks..

[A. F Medic]

Thanks to those who offered help with my cannon ball. I got my metric mixed up with my inch system. The ball mikes at 3.50 inches and weight is 6lbs and .08 ozs.

That makes it a 6 pounder or a 3.69 inch caliber. I verified it here...

The Civil War Artillery Projectile and Cannon Home Page

[Jim K]

A six-pounder was the standard "horse artillery". It is shot; I think folks can stop worrying whether it is a shell, as a shell would weigh only about 4 pounds and even spherical case would be lighter than 6+ pounds. It would originally have had a sabot on it.

Jim