✅ SOLVED Big Miniball???

[Trentonfrank]

Hey folks. I found this big hunk of lead in a field today that to my knowledge had no civil war activity. Can anyone help me I.D. this bullet? I'm sorry I don't have any calipers but I did weigh it. It weighs exactly 46 grams. It has no markings on the underside (in the concave bottom). Any help is greatly appreciated.

Frank

 

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[smokeythecat]

Most likely it is. It MAY be one of the big .69 caliber minies. I am also in Maryland and have been shocked to find Civil War stuff where there was no known history written. However, that being said, a lot of troops moved through here. What county are you in? I have found CW in Harford, Baltimore County, Washington, Frederick Cecil, Talbot, Baltimore City and Queen Anne's county over the years.

 

[Trentonfrank]

I'm in St. Marys county. You are right about troop movement. There was a civil war prison down here at Point Lookout. Maybe the bullet belonged to one of those troops marching through the area. Thanks for the reply.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, a lot of folks moved through there. My two best Civil War relics were found at places no one dreamed there would be any relics from. One, a southern sympathizers house, they threw their stuff away out back after the war and the other a Gettysburg related picket post. Just a lonely windswept hilltop. In the middle of nowhere.

 

[Trentonfrank]

I do love this hobby. You never know what is in the ground. Today was a bizarre but good day. Along with the possible miniball, I found 2 british half pennies and 8 old Tombac buttons. I found all this stuff in an old Boy Scout Camp. I was just hoping to find maybe some merc dimes and some old pocket knives but I was surprised by my much older finds.

 

[smokeythecat]

I like the colonial stuff best. Yesterday I had the "pleasure" of almost losing my lunch with excitement over a Confederate buckle I just dug. It was at said lonely windswept outpost in the middle of nowhere. Blew my mind. You should be getting all kinds of colonial stuff down there.

 

[Yak1366]

Trentonfrank, can you tell if there's any diagonal lines around the grooves? I know it's been fired, so these may be gone. I only have the Dean & Thomas Roundball to Rimfire Vol.4 which is dedicated to confederate ordnance, and your bullet is a close visual match to 2 specimens, if it's confederate. An accurate diameter is needed though.

 

[Trentonfrank]

I don't see any diagonal lines. I can probably get a hold of some calipers tomorrow. I really appreciate the help.

 

[smokeythecat]

It does look fired.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Your civil war .69-caliber 3-groove Minie-bullet is definitely a fired one.
1- It shows rifling-marks... "slightly diagonal" ridges running up the bullet's sides, made by the gunbarrel's rifling-grooves.
2- Definite impact damage on the bullet's nose.
3. Just below the impact damage, there is a linear indentation encircling the bullet's nose, made by the ramrod's mouth during loading into a gunpowder-ash-clogged gunbarrel.

In addition to troops "passing through" an area with no battle history, there were many mustering-in-and-troop-training sites. Those are found in every state which sent troops to the civil war. Troop-training sites in states where no civil war battle was ever fought have produced civil war military relics, such as uniform buttons, buckles, gunparts, and bullets. I mention that in order to give some hope to diggers in Illinois, New York, and Michigan, etc. Do some research for civil war era State Militia mustering-and-training sites.

 

[smokeythecat]

As usual Cannonballguy is dead on. I have dug more from unknown areas than battlefields.

 

[lookingharder]

Some of the reply's are why I try and research troop movements instead of actual battle sites. 1000 men - 8-10 miles a day = lots of camps = lots of coins, bottles, bullets, belt buckles and various other items that will make your day to find.

 

[A2coins]

sweet finds!!!!! Cannonball guy with another shot heard all around the net//// very, helpful, and knowledgeable... great post!!!!!

 

[Trentonfrank]

Thanks for the insight. The CannonballGuy. that line caused by the ram-rod was one of the things I wasn't sure of. When I saw it I had no idea what it was...
so thank you very much for your knowledge and passing it on to me. Thanks to everyone who helped out as well. I will mark this guy "solved" and put my first .69 minnie in the display case. Thanks again!!!

Frank

 

[Davers]

Hey folks. I found this big hunk of lead in a field today that to my knowledge had no civil war activity. Can anyone help me I.D. this bullet? I'm sorry I don't have any calipers but I did weigh it. It weighs exactly 46 grams. It has no markings on the underside (in the concave bottom). Any help is greatly appreciated.

Frank

I really like the way that one impacted. 'As if it hit a small branch or similar,also' the neat 'Peel -Back on the ram-rod line.