The Arms & Equipment in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Minie Balls I.D.
In Response To: Minie Balls I.D. ()

Not really but a good starting point for .577 and .58 Enfield and Springfield rounds.......a lot of Enfields had no grooves. .69 Belgians used by both sides early in the war had three and they were distinct in their closeness. As was the lead that they were usually cast from. All the dug Belgians that I have seen (and dug and own) are a very dark grey lead and don't get that whitish patina like Springfield and Enfields do when aging in AND on top of the ground. My best Enfield was found on top of the ground. (Gaines Mill/Cold Harbor) You can see the rifling so it was a shot bullet but it is entirely un-deformed. I would expect it was shot into the air and landed without hitting anything to distort it. The coolest thing about it is the rammer mark on the top. This guy was pounding them home. There are NO absolute givens when it comes to bullets. There were way to many styles, calibers, and makers. Including the soldier pouring his own in the field. Although that was less common than in the Revolutionary War. I dug a nice Sharps that is as flat on the front as it is on the back. Probably was discharged at close range into something hard. Or maybe shot directly into the ground to unload the weapon. There's a lot of lead in the ground where I live.

Keith

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Minie Balls I.D.
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