✅ SOLVED 45 caliber CW bullet - 2nd attempt at ID

TrpnBils · Jan 6, 2015

I posted this in the Civil War forum whenever I found it but got not a whiff of an ID so I thought I'd give it a shot in this forum. If one thread needs to be deleted, I'd rather this one stay since I think it's got a better chance of being ID'd here:

Dug this one yesterday at a school where I've dug several .58s and a couple of musket balls over the years. I'm terrible at IDing bullets... I looked at this site but I honestly don't know what half of the stuff means, but searching just filtering through the flat base projectiles gives a lot of results and none of them look right. No rings or grooves, but there is a little reduction in the diameter at the base where the sleeve would have attached.

Dimensions are just shy of 0.8" in length and 0.45" in diameter.

BosnMate · Jan 6, 2015

Probably a .44 caliber Colt pistol bullet. Here's what a dropped one looks like.

The 44 bullets are cast a little larger, so with corrosion you measurement of .45 might be accurate for the .44.

TrpnBils · Jan 6, 2015

is that a groove in that or just a slight reduction in diameter from that dark ring to the back end? This one I have doesn't appear to have any grooves in it like the 58s and others that I've found, just a slight reduction all the way to the rear where the casing would have slid up over.

capsmith · Jan 6, 2015

I have some bullet like that. Small base was to make loading into a black powder pistol easer.The bullet should be for a 44 cal. colt.

TrpnBils · Jan 6, 2015

Nice - thanks guys

TheCannonballGuy · Jan 7, 2015

According to the "Handbook Of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges" you've found a civil war era yankee-made .44 Blackpowder revolver bullet. Despite having a slight "step-down" above its base, it was not made for use with a metallic cartridge. If its length is .73" it was made by yankee bullet-&-cartridge manufacturer Elam O. Potter, and if its length is .78" it was made by the Watervliet (NY) Arsenal. Used primarily in Colt's .44 revolver, but it would also fit into the cylinder of some other .44 revolvers.