Two CW 3-ringers that Ive never dug before. Anybody know?

[parsonwalker]

Two CW 3-ringers that I've never dug before. Anybody know?

One is .52 cal and the other is .58 cal. Both have small "teats" in the base. The .52 cal teat is very sharp, and the base is much thicker than a normal 3-ringer. Both found within 100 yards of each other in an 1862 Union camp. While we're at it, and idea on the thimble looking thing? Marginally shiny, almost like stainless steel. Tapered and a hole in the end.

 

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[DCMatt]

I'm sure someone will know about the minie balls. The last item could be the tip from a riding whip.



DCMatt

 

[duggap]

I don't have my bullet book in front of me, but the one looks like an Austrian variant, but I was thinking those were .54. Are you sure it is .52?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Both of those "teat-in-base" Minie-balls are (Confederate) Augusta GA Arsenal minies. They are listed in the McKee-&-Mason book on civil war bullets as "Georgia Troops" minies... because they are most often found in sites occupied by Georgia troops. Some of us civil war bullet-collectors believe they were manufactured at the Augusta GA arsenal because a quantity of UNFIRED Confederate Bormann-fuzed artillery "Case-Shot" shells found dumped in the river near the arsenal had that specific kind of minie inside them instead of lead balls.

 

[parsonwalker]

Thanks DC Matt - good call. A riding academy was on the next farm over, so that makes sense! Duggap - Yeah I know! .52 cal?? But sure enough. Appears unfired and in almost perfect dropped condition. I need to get a set of DIGITAL calipers, but my old school mic tool says .52 - def not .54. CB - thanks for all the typing you must do on this forum! We've mentioned this before, but we knew some of the same old-timers (Mac Mason, Harry Cassidy, et al) - thanks for the info Brother!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

You're welcome, Parsonwalker.

Here's a bit more info about Minie-balls -- which are strictly Muzzleloading bullets:
For muzzleloading firearms, the bullet's diameter MUST always a bit smaller than the caliber of the firearm -- or you couldn't load it down the barrel from the muzzle. For example, a .54 Minie-ball will actually measure about .52 to .53-inch.

For Breechloader firearms, the situation is reversed. For example, a .52-caliber Sharps Rifle bullet is typically about .54-inch in diameter. Cylinder-type revolvers are also classified as a Breechloader, because the bullet goes into the back end of the barrel. A typical civil war .44 Colt Revolver's bullets measure about .46-inch in diameter. Check the McKee-&-Mason book for the bullet-diameters.

Harbor Freight Tools sells a good-quality digital caliper for about $15. Also available on Ebay for about that price. trust me, spending that $15 will actually save (or make) money for you. I take my digital caliper to every relic show I attend.

Speaking of which, I'll have a table at the upcoming Gettysburg civil war relic show, Oct. 26 & 27, sponsored by the North/South Trader magazine. I'll be set up with Steve Sylvia, the magazine's publisher.

 

[parsonwalker]

Best of luck there, my friend. I don't get out to the shows, but I hope you enjoy your weekend. The area I've been hunting has been slammed for years by poachers (Owner very rarely let anybody in legally) But when the crops come off, I have permission where the poachers were usually hesitant to venture (Fields surrounding the main house). I hope to be posting some decent stuff come December. When I hunted the edges of the driveway (a foot wide on each side) I found more stuff than the rest of the farm combined. I have high hopes . . .