Bullet I.D. Help Needed

[Ripcon]

I found this bullet in a Yankee camp near Jackson, MS. Does anybody know what type this is? It has a solid base and is smaller than a .58 (maybe .54 or .52 caliber). Thanks for any assistance.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[smokeythecat]

I think a 54 caliber Sharps carbine.

 

[relic nut]

I think a 54 caliber Sharps carbine.

I agree. Nice find.

HH, RN

 

[Ripcon]

You may very well be right. However, I've dug Sharps carbine bullets before and one variety has the dot base and is shorter, the other has the ringtail (Christmas tree) base. This one has a solid base. Did the Sharps have a solid base?

 

[relic nut]

Most of the ones I have are solid base.

HH, RN

 

[Ripcon]

Most of the ones I have are solid base.

HH, RN

So, you agree that this is a Sharps carbine bullet?

 

[relic nut]

So, you agree that this is a Sharps carbine bullet?

That's what it looks like to me.

HH, RN

 

[relic nut]

Here is a picture that shows solid as well as the small cavity Sharp's. Yours is wore pretty good but I think that's what you have.

HH, RN

 

[Ripcon]

Thanks!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I'm 100% certain that it is a .52 Spencer bullet, which a soldier removed from its copper casing. As seen in the photo posted by Relic Nut, Sharps don't have the narrow body-grooves we see on Ripcon's bullet. The photo below shows an unfired Spencer bullet, removed from its copper casing during the civil war. The indentation just above its base isn't a body-groove, it is the "rebate" where the base fit into the casing. Sometimes that area gets messed up (like we see on Ripcon's bullet) when the soldier pulls the slug out of the casing. Soldiers did that to get gunpowder to start a fire when the only firewood available was wet.

 

[relic nut]

I stand corrected. Thanks for setting us straight CBG. You are the best. I learn from all your post. You are an asset to this forum. [emoji106]

HH, RN

 

[Coil-2-Soil]

That is a nice piece of history you found Ripcon! Sweet CW bullet. I agree with relic nut and always check to see TheCannonballGuy's posts and comments on CW finds. He is a great asset to this forum. Thanks

 

[Retired Fire]

Wow, great find. Someday maybe I will find a nice old bullet. Found plenty of modern but non that age.

 

[SkaBa]

I'm 100% certain that it is a .52 Spencer bullet, missing its copper casing. As seen in the photo posted by Relic Nut, Sharps don't have the narrow body-grooves we see on Ripcon's bullet. The photo below shows an unfired Spencer bullet, removed from its copper casing. The indentation just above its base isn't a body-groove, it is the "rebate" where the base fit into the casing. Sometimes that area gets messed up (like we see on Ripcon's bullet) when the soldier pulls the slug out of the casing. Soldiers did that to get gunpowder to start a fire when the only firewood available was wet.

Curious, why would the bullet be removed from the copper casing?

 

[Retired Fire]

Sometimes that area gets messed up (like we see on Ripcon's bullet) when the soldier pulls the slug out of the casing. Soldiers did that to get gunpowder to start a fire when the only firewood available was wet.

 

[SkaBa]

Sometimes that area gets messed up (like we see on Ripcon's bullet) when the soldier pulls the slug out of the casing. Soldiers did that to get gunpowder to start a fire when the only firewood available was wet.

My mistake. Was reading and thinking 'copper jacket', but correctly wrote 'casing'. One of those days.

 

[Ripcon]

Thanks Cannonball Guy. And thanks to all who responded to my request for the i.d. on my bullet. This is actually the first Spencer bullet I've ever found. I'm so glad you helped my get i.d.

 

[Retired Fire]

My mistake. Was reading and thinking 'copper jacket', but correctly wrote 'casing'. One of those days.

Believe me I know what you mean. It has been one of those months.

 

[tennessee digger]

I agree with Pete, it's a Spencer carbine bullet.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Coil-2-Soil wrote:
> I agree with relic nut and always check to see TheCannonballGuy's posts and comments on CW finds.

I'm happy to be helpful to my fellow relic-diggers and collectors. It is my way of paying back for the relic-ID help I was given way back when I was new to the relic-hunting hobby. Since you said you "always check to see" the relic-info in my posts, let me take this opportunity to remind folks that all my past posts are viewable by clicking on my posting-name and then selecting "View Posts." I've poured my 40+ years of relic-knowledge into those 5,000 posts, carefully keeping them educational... no "Nice find!" posts.