Well, E-Man....no need to duck yet!
While the crimps are used today only on ground wires, it wasn't always thet way. Wire nuts didn't really come into use until 1960- and even then, all you had was the spring part! Compared to the older twist, solder, and tape method, either the crimps or the springs were a real labor-saver. Both were insulated with electrical tape.
It's funny this subject would come up today; one of my jobs today was fixing some lighting a guy did in his warehouse. For the second time at this place, I found myself repairing a fault caused by an imperfect taping / assembly job. Wire nuts are much, much more tolerant of the less-skilled worker.
Getting back on-topic, anything that has been added to or modified in an old home is suspect. There are far too many folks doing electric work who aren't nearly as talented as they like to think!
