Gold,silver copper bullets

[shootrj2003]

I was on another site, I had made a statement about the possibility of copper bullets as well gold and silver bullets as thier melting points are similar I used an article for info when asked to document it I thought to share it withthose interested.I hoe you like it it took time!
  Posted 01 April 2011 02:23 PM  Hide Post
I did a little quick digging around in my books and this is a bit of what I found.These excerps are all from a story in our own Dixie Gun Annual of 1997"Black Powder and Silver Bullets" by Wayne R. Austerman.
While this article does a great deal to substantiate my claims of gold,silver and even copper bullets,It is not by far the only source of such evidence,as I have read through many years of many such uses of metals for "projectular" purposes.[I invented that word,I think!}
During the period of 1835-1842During a protracted war against the Seminole Indians of Florida Territory,Seminole Indians often used arrows about 4 ft. long occasionally tipped wth silver aganst troops,but they also used bullets of silver.
In April 1836,in a blockhouse 12 mi. upstream from the mouth of the Willacoochee r.,Florida Militiamen,under the command ofCapt. Holleman and Lieut.L.B.Walker came under attack by 500 Seminole indians on Apr 12,by apr.15 the Seminoles were convinced the whitemen were using witchcraft, so their Shaman said to use silver bullets,the attack lasted 48 days after which ,unsuccessful,the seminoles withdrew,despite having burnt the roof off the place.Afterward the men supplemented thier meager income by digging out the silver from the Palmetto logs.
In the 1750's Spanish in the San Saba River Valley were searching for rumored silver.In 1831,James Bowie led a search into the San Saba out of San Antonio,tx.They fought a battle against indians there.Folklore has it that he found a fortune in nuggets or bullion there.In later years a prominent Texas journalist, who owned land in Menard,found nearly a dozen silver bullets imbedded in trees along the river,it's not known wether they are from Jim Bowie's battle or from earlie battles with the Spanish, but ,they were silver and they were bullets.
Mc mullen county ,Tx. settlers claimed that somewhere southwest of the Caja Mountains,tribesmen mined a silver deposit for bullet material.
1857,A settler named "Grumble"[?!] had diagreements with the indians near San Saba,below "Brady Creek"He recovered silver bullets shot at him by Comanches.
In 1835 a caravan led by a kentuckian named Roberts ran afoul of Comanches on the way from Santa Fe to Missouri.They had lots of gold,but their horses got stolen, and they had to walk,for more bullets they had to use they're gold.
In 1867 a mixed detachmentfrom Co.E 1st. Cav. andCo.B 32nd Inf.fought Apaches led by Chieftan delt-Che.Surgeon Charles Smart removed a silver bullet from Cpl.Duncan's leg.
Author's words"In the early years of firearms development,Silver, as lead,copper,bronze,iron,pewter,tin, as well as gemstones were utilized ,on occasion in the search for an effective material for projectiles, not until 1350 did lead become the commonly accepted fodder for the crude handcannons of the day.
I hope this is sufficient documentation for my statements about viable bullet metals ,if not I will be be glad to research further for lengthier documentation and will find it, meanwhile read the article and I thank the authoer for it's use[I made no money off it!

[Uncle Russ]

Interesting reading, Shooter
Thanks for taking the time to share it.

There are several such stories of precious metals being used for projectiles in and around the Gila Wilderness Area of the Mogollon Mountains in New Mexico.....not far from present day Silver City.
Seems the early Padres back in the 1800's may have taken silver and gold bullets back to Mexico following their many visits amongst the native tribes of the Southwest during this time period.
Don't know the truth in any of the old stories, but nonetheless they do exist and, like many others, I have always enjoyed hearing about 'em.

Uncle Russ...

[pathfinder]

Superstitions exist and in a number of original patchboxes were silver bullets(round ball) for WereWolves! I have 1 in a Southern gun I use a lot,just for kick's....I hope!

[Kermit]

...and for vampires, you shoot them through the heart with your wooden ramrod.

[pathfinder]

Not bad Kermit!  One particular gun and bag combo even had a pentagram on the bag flap and horn along with a silver bullet. Didn't do him much good. He still died @ 1854

[Roaddog]

Tthat was a good read. Thanks for posting it.

[greyhunter]

Lone Beaver, shot the Pawnee chief, Rude Warrior with a gold bullet!  From the book and movie,Centennial.

[Swamp]

My range is open to anyone who wants to shoot gold or silver RB's. The only rule I have is no digging in the shooting berm. That's reserved for management!  

[greyhunter]

My range is open to anyone who wants to shoot gold or silver RB's. The only rule I have is no digging in the shooting berm. That's reserved for management!  

[pathfinder]

My range is open to anyone who wants to shoot gold or silver RB's. The only rule I have is no digging in the shooting berm. That's reserved for management!  :evil:

[shootrj2003]

I think I should get 10 percent for giving people the idea to shoot them gold and silver boolits!

[Loyalist Dave]

The problem with casting bullets with copper is the melting point in excess of 1900 degrees F.  To properly cast a round ball with a metal mold, one needs a mold that is hotter than the casting material, to get a sphere to form, otherwise you get half-spheres, etc.  You must also have a vessel to melt the metal, so you need a ceramic crucible.  (copper projectiles today are usually machined, and small copper shot is dripped or injected, not cast)

Add to those facts the need for mass in any projectile launched, to do the job upon impact.  With that in mind consider Tin.  Tin melts at a lower temp than lead, and was more plentiful than copper, so it could easily have been adapted for bullet use.  All you need is a metal ladle, a fire, and a mold.  So it was probably tried (why wouldn't a person try it if they had it), and was obviously abandoned.  If it was easy to find, easy to cast, it was abandoned because it was...., too light!  It is very similar to copper in its mass, when compared to other bullet metals.

So, it is possible that in the Middle Ages folks sand cast copper projectiles for artillery or the hand gonne, but by the time of the permanent colonization of North America, if copper was used, it had been abandoned.

LD

[shootrj2003]

lI'm sure your right there Dave ,In that all these materials were tryed and abandoned,probably at different times and for varying reasons, and we all know that nothing beats lead for ease and  of use and it's internal and external ballistic qualities .Peace

[Uncle Russ]

Yep, I'm quite sure there is truth in that, but stories of Tin, sand cast, and Cooper ain't near as good listening to, or reading, as those of bullets made of Silver and Gold, smuggled out of the country under the cover of darkness by Priests and Monks and other men of the cloth, all under the pretense of gifts from the local native culture for bringing Christianity into their lives.....Say what???

There ain't likely a lick of truth in any of  the stories, but the telling of such stories, from the quite yet cultivated voice of a Spanish speaking trapper, whilst around a campfire, high in the snow covered mountains, with only the sound of the fire crackling while darkness creeps in and creates monster like shadows with its darting and flickering flames, is a heck of ah' lot more excitin' than poking your thumb in the sand and pouring in a little Copper.  
 

Uncle Russ...

[Loyalist Dave]

OH NO DOUBT that folks might use gold and silver, especially if that's all they had and it is nice and heavy, and Natives apparently in the Mexico area and south liked gold because it was pretty, not for quite the same reason the Spanish and the rest of the folks out of Europe quested for it.  So why not use it for a projectile if you have nothing like lead or bismuth or such at hand and your back is against the wall?

LD