On Monn, 18 Nov 1996, James P. Harcourt wrote:
 
> I am trying to identify a bullet from a trash pit near Cabool, Texas
> County, Missouri.  The pit collection dates from about 1850s with a
> maximum closure date of about 1880-1890.  The bullet resembles a
> Sharps round but has a stem with a small hole in the base.  Conjecture for
> the stem includes:  cottage/small scale production of the round for
> captured weapons, attachment for a paper or linen cartridge, or an
> exploding round.  It appears to have been formed in a two piece mold.
> This area saw some action during the Civil War with the
> near by town of Houston burnt twice.
>
> I have a TIF and BMP scan of it for interested parties or can
> fax an image.
>
> Other associated finds include a musket ball, gun butt plate, some
> presently unidentified cartridges, sparse glass, moderate
> ceramics (largely hand painted or plain and crockery), machine made
> square nails, horse tack, some cutlery, and kilos of bone
> (rabbit, squirrel, fish, pig, cow).  The feature was basin-shaped and
> fairly large (3 x 2.5 m) with possible piers suggesting primary use
> as a sub-structure partial cellar.  I hit an edge in a 1 x 1 on a
> Phase II, so I still have more questions than answers!
>
> Metrics:
>
> Total length (mm)  :  28.9
> Max width             :  14.7
> Length of stem       :  5.15
> Width of stem        :  9.04
> Weight (gr)             :  31.9
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> James P. Harcourt
> Missouri Department of Transportation
> [log in to unmask]
> [log in to unmask]
>
Without seeing the object itself could the bullet be unfinished with the
stem being the mold of the sprue or channel in which the lead is poored
into the mold and generally broken off before use of the bullet?
 
Scott Baxter
University of Nevada, Reno