What is it?

[Duane Pringle]

found in battle field where we find hotchkiss fragments, I think it might be a driving band but I dont know.

 

[ikesdad]

What is the material?
Can you lay a tape measure next to it for a pic ?

 

[Duane Pringle]

It is made out of lead and has iron stuck in the back of it.

 

[Duane Pringle]

 

[Jobe Holiday]

IMHO, not a driving band. If it is lead, it is more likely to be campfire melted lead.
J.

 

[Duane Pringle]

Could be!

 

[ikesdad]

At first I thought maybe you found a peanut shell.

 

[mofederal]

It does look a lot like melted lead from a campfire. The iron part I do not know though. A nice find either way, and a real conversation piece. Thanks for posting.

 

[1867crete]

Round balls melted together with a random piece of iron? There seems to be 3 prominent balls/lumps We may never know but excellent way to start a conversation with a CW nerd like my self!! Lol

 

[1867crete]

At first I thought maybe you found a peanut shell.

Man these guys were tough I know but, lead covered goober peas!? Lol

 

[mofederal]

Round balls melted together with a random piece of iron? There seems to be 3 prominent balls/lumps We may never know but excellent way to start a conversation with a CW nerd like my self!! Lol

That works for me too a real WTH item. A great way to start a conversation.

 

[Duane Pringle]

Thank you all we may never know.

 

[Package4]

Think about it, these were mostly young men and boys, who would get bored, no doubt many different things found their way into a fire. They could have been issued new weapons and the older ammunition was expendable, or was being melted to form new bullets from molds. I have found lead melted into pencils, small cannon, animals, carved into chess pieces and flattened into poker chips.........

 

[UCVRelics]

They also used them to start camp fires as well. I have found several fire pits that were full of melted lead. They would take the powder and the bullet that was wrapped in the paper and pile them in the bottom then add twigs sticks etc to get it started.

 

[ewmail15]

What's to be lost by heating up one end with a propane torch? If you start seeing a form, then you can go all the way and tell us tonight if there are any iron pieces there.

 

[Package4]

What's to be lost by heating up one end with a propane torch? If you start seeing a form, then you can go all the way and tell us tonight if there are any iron pieces there.

Why not just use a magnet?

 

[Package4]

Looks a little like iron case shot

 

[ewmail15]

Could be a soldier had a damaged iron tool or rifle/revolver part (hammer?). They created a mold in sand and placed the lead balls in place. Then, they heated up the iron as best they could, set it over the lead balls to puddle around the tool, waited for it to harden, but had to engage the enemy. The top looked very smooth, which is why I jumped to the sand theory.