54 or 56 Cal. SHARPS RINGTAIL?

[Red River Campaign 1864]

Dug this Sharps Ringtail a few months ago and trying to ID it but I'm on the fence on the MM's guide to which it might be! Would love the help of the "professional" bullet IDers out there! Appears to be "dropped" or "unfired" (which ever you prefer) but the weight and the measurements does't line up perfectly with either a MM 186 or MM 190! Thanks in advance for the educated guesses!

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

There are just too many slight variations of "Ringtail Sharps" bullets for a bullet-ID book to show them all. Some uncommon variations were manufactured in the "Trans-Mississippi" area, where you found yours. It has wider rings than most varieties. Its body diameter of .547-inch means it is a .52-caliber... because the Sharps Rifle was a Breechloader, and Breechloader bullets are larger in diameter than the rifle's bore diameter.

 

[Red River Campaign 1864]

There are just too many slight variations of "Ringtail Sharps" bullets for a bullet-ID book to show them all. Some uncommon variations were manufactured in the "Trans-Mississippi" area, where you found yours. It has wider rings than most varieties. Its body diameter of .547-inch means it is a .52-caliber... because the Sharps Rifle was a Breechloader, and Breechloader bullets are larger in diameter than the rifle's bore diameter.

Thanks for the great info "TheCannonBallGuy"! You are right, so many different variations hard to "label" the exact bullet out of a book but.... you're expertise goes along way to help in the research! I do appreciate it! Was wondering, I sent you a private message inbox about a "Converted Borman Support Plug for Fuse" I posted about a month ago! Had a real nice gentleman reply with you (TheCannonBallGuy) as the reference for a similar one he dug in Alexandria, Louisiana! Would love your expertise on the one I dug! Thanks for your time! Have a great day!