Trying to help Truth out...

Possum

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Location
Southeast Louisiana
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Minelab CTX 3030 and Equinox 800, XP Deus, Shadow X5, Shadow X2, Fisher F44, Whites Coinmaster, and Tesoro Compadre'
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Can anyone ID this 3 ringer as far as size and whether its federal or Confederate? I haven't had a chance to look at it in person and I know y'all are way better than me at ID'ing Minnie's than I am. Thanks in advance... "D"




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We really need accurate measurements to correctly ID it. Without that information I am just guessing but it looks to me like a Gardner patent of Northern manufacture.
 

No. I still get a message saying "invalid attachments". Can you give us the measurements?
 

The base ring should be the key to the ID. I've not seen a 3G Minie with that much more diameter of the base ring. The profile looks Union to me.
 

Possum did some research and it looks identical to a .56 Caliber Spencer Carbine (Virginia)
 

I think the Spencer had a solid flat base. And, to the best of my knowledge even though the Spencer was marked 56 it was actually a 52 caliber.
 

Last edited:
.56 base .98 length 30.3 grains

The closest match I can find in my 'A Handbook Of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges' by James & Dean Thomas is # 149 '2013 edition' .
# 149 a, b, c, or d, 58 cal Rifle Musket " this is the regulation 3-grove" Minnie" with a cone cavity that was developed in the mid-1850's .
This batch of 4 Minnie's have diameters of .565, L 1.05 , W, 492 for (d) & for (c) = D .576 , L 1.05 , W=500 . & Example (b) D= .570 , L=.98 , W=438. Example (a) D=.568, L= .95 , W= 466 gr..

IMO Your bullet looks like example 'D' + all the years it was buried likely changed it's spec's .

Also as for 58 cal 'Minnie's' it notes that 'Variations found in the grooves and profiles on these bullets is nearly infinite'.

This is no-way a positive ID but "Close' .

It's still a nice find & most important you know where it came from.
Davers

P.S. I see it's Possum now , Ill have to remember that.
HH there in LA.
 

The closest match I can find in my 'A Handbook Of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges' by James & Dean Thomas is # 149 '2013 edition' .
# 149 a, b, c, or d, 58 cal Rifle Musket " this is the regulation 3-grove" Minnie" with a cone cavity that was developed in the mid-1850's .
This batch of 4 Minnie's have diameters of .565, L 1.05 , W, 492 for (d) & for (c) = D .576 , L 1.05 , W=500 . & Example (b) D= .570 , L=.98 , W=438. Example (a) D=.568, L= .95 , W= 466 gr..

IMO Your bullet looks like example 'D' + all the years it was buried likely changed it's spec's .

Also as for 58 cal 'Minnie's' it notes that 'Variations found in the grooves and profiles on these bullets is nearly infinite'.

This is no-way a positive ID but "Close' .

It's still a nice find & most important you know where it came from.
Davers

P.S. I see it's Possum now , Ill have to remember that.
HH there in LA.

Thank you so much Davers anything fresh m the 1850’s from this location is a treasure to me. Thank you for the help.
 

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