Bullet #3

[fyrffytr1]

I am pretty sure that these are all .58 cal. Confederate Gardners. Just wanting someone to verify it. I will post more in the coming days.

 

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[duggap]

Yes they are gardners. If you can find that many of those there should be some neat brass in there somewhere.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I agree with Duggap... all of those bullets are civil war Gardner "Minie-bullets." The Gardner type has two wide more-or-less "flat-bottomed" grooves and has a DEEP cavity shaped somewhat like the inside of a coffeecup in its base. They are strictly Confederate-made. Frederick Gardner received Confederate States Patent #12 dated August 12, 1861 for his bullet and cartridge-making machine. Gardner bullets were made in .54, .58, and .69 caliber. The .58 caliber version is the most common, and the .69 version is the rarest. Your photo shows a mix of .54 and .58 caliber ones in the upper rows, and .54 ones in the bottom row.

For any readers here who don't already know:
Super-precise measuring (in hundredths-of-an-inch) is very important for correctly identifying bullets, coins, and buttons. So, I recommend spending $15 or $19 for a precision-measuring Digital Caliper. Although a "composite" (plastic) one is available for $9.95, stainless-steel ones do not wear out. If you prefer to never have to worry about replacing a battery, a non-electric "Dial" Caliper is available for $18.95. Go here:
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[fyrffytr1]

Thanks for the replies. I found these about 35 years ago when I hunted in my home town of Hagerstown, Md. The sites are all developements today.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I bought my calipers from a local auto parts store for about $20.00.

Performance Tool W80152 - Caliper | O'Reilly Auto Parts