My first three ringer, Old or Modern?

[Electricbutter]

I found this in the front yard of a house built in 1910. Any information is appreciated. Thanks

 

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[Icewing]

It's not like the guns used in the civil war were all suddenly thrown away as soon as the Civil War ended. You need to find out if there was any CW or other military related activity that predates the house to be able to legitimately tie it to. But in reality most people will see it and just accept it as a CW bullet.

 

[Gitschlag]

Definitely an authentic Civil War era bullet. As Icewing mentioned, these rounds were readily available well after the Civil War, especially as the govt sold off surplus war materials, so it could have been dropped in that yard well after the war.

 

[GaRebel1861]

It’s a keeper!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The specific ID for your bullet:
1- Actually, it has 3 body-grooves. Rings are raised... like you see on most of the civil war era Sharps Rifle bullets.
2- The deep and large cavity in its base means it is a Minie-bullet, made for use in muzzle-loader rifles.
3- The version of Minie-bullet you found is called the "Williams US Regulation" bullet, made for use in the US army's .58-caliber Springfield Rifle-Musket, during the civil war. It first shows up on battlefields in 1862 and was used through the end of the war.
4- Icewing and Gitschlag are correct... soon after the civil war ended, the US government sold off many of its massive wartime supply of muzzleloader rifles to the civilian public, and also to foreign governments... because the development of breechloading rifles which used metal cartridge ammunition was rapidly making the muzzleloaders obsolete. That being said... as your bullet's name implies (it was manufactured by the Elijah D. Williams company, which did not sell these bulletmolds to the public), it is far more likely to have been made (and lost) during the war years than afterward. Literally millions of these US Regulation bullets were left over when the war ended... so, there was no need to manufacture more of them, particularly because the muzzleloader rifles were being phased out. We know with certainty that various US States had military training camps for new recruits... who practiced with the types of rifles and bullets they would use when they were deployed into the war. That is why a significant quantities of civil war US military relics have been dug in Northern states, at recruit/draftee training sites.

 

[Electricbutter]

Thanks, I really appreciate the detailed explanation. It’s funny because I’ve dug a lot of round balls some old and some modern that are still made and used today. This is my first Minie-bullet and I didn’t know that the molds for were not sold to the public nor was there a need due to the surplus supply. So I either have a Civilian New old stock drop or Possibly a recruit/training site drop. Hopefully I can prove it to be a training site. I really appreciate the information. Ryan

 

[Electricbutter]

It's not like the guns used in the civil war were all suddenly thrown away as soon as the Civil War ended. You need to find out if there was any CW or other military related activity that predates the house to be able to legitimately tie it to. But in reality most people will see it and just accept it as a CW bullet.

I really appreciate your input and I will definitely research the area for military activity. Thanks. Ryan

 

[Reanm8er]

Growing up in the 50s and 60s when the reenactments began, in an area that was heavily invested in the tourist trade, every gift shop in this area had a box of these.
They sold them for .25 a piece and were all heavily encrusted with lead oxide. I always believed they were newly made and aged to look old. I've also know of hunters who've found whole cases of ammo buried by retreating troops. That happened a lot here in the northern valley where the real estate changed hands
many times. One of my friends found such a cache in the middle of a Rt 66 cloverleaf! Buried by the Union troops in their retreat from Front Royal, Va May 23, 1862. Recognized as the first engagement of Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign.

Best wishes and good luck!

 

[Yak1366]

Very nice find, Congrats!!!

 

[A2coins]

Great find nice display piece could be some more cool CW relics laying around

 

[Electricbutter]

Growing up in the 50s and 60s when the reenactments began, in an area that was heavily invested in the tourist trade, every gift shop in this area had a box of these.
They sold them for .25 a piece and were all heavily encrusted with lead oxide. I always believed they were newly made and aged to look old. I've also know of hunters who've found whole cases of ammo buried by retreating troops. That happened a lot here in the northern valley where the real estate changed hands
many times. One of my friends found such a cache in the middle of a Rt 66 cloverleaf! Buried by the Union troops in their retreat from Front Royal, Va May 23, 1862. Recognized as the first engagement of Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign.

Best wishes and good luck!

Mine could definitely be a New old stock tourists trade drop.(lol) I would love to find a whole case of these. We don’t have many clover leafs in Western Massachusetts but we have tons of Rotaries that would probably produce some goodies. Neat story thanks. Ryan