Loaned my nephew my tiller and he came up with. Cannon shot? Big ball bearings? He said there was once an old building there and he had picked shotshells out of the ground in the same spot. He's a big guy and those are large hands He's holding those with.
They weren't that cheap even back then...........I was in the right place and time and able to benefit from a collection being sold off. Both were packed in cosmoline and in exceptional condition. Everything else I had found had been in a sorry state and over $700 even back then.
Back around 1985 I held a 1895 Russian musket and had the opportunity to buy it for $250. I was hunting for an 1895 in 30/06 when both it an the Russian 7x54r came available. Since I could only afford one back then................the 7x54r didn't make the cut. I always knew that I'd regret...