✅ SOLVED Bullet id needed

DownNDirty

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I have found 50 dropped bullets at a site where Union and Confederate troops skirmished; they are all .58 caliber. 14 of the bullets are Williams Cleaners and the other 33 are three ringers.

Of the three ringers, three look different than the others. They have narrow, shallow grooves (rings) and there is a flat spot on the nose. The others have deep grooves and the noses come to a point.

I would like to know if these are two different types of bullets. Also is it possible to tell if these are Union or Confederate bullets-or maybe one of each? I have attached pictures of two examples side by side; they both measured just under .58 inches on a digital caliper.
Thanks
 

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The bullet on the right is referred to as a Pistol Carbine bullet or a Williams regulation. The bullet on the left has the "look" of a Confederate bullet. In order to get an exact I.D. you would need to use a micrometer and give the exact measurements. Anyway, nice finds!
 

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Thanks! Did the Confederate army use Williams cleaners?
 

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Only way would be if they (Williams cleaners) were captured and used by the Confederate army. They were issued to the Union army (all types) and the Confederate army did not have issued cleaner rounds.
 

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The McKee-&-Mason book on civil war bullets called your mystery-bullet a Pistol-Carbine minie, but that ID has been proven to be incorrect. As Tennessee Digger said, it is definitely a Williams US Regulation .58 minie, strictly yankee-made.

The minie on the left in your photo is also strictly yankee-made. It is distinguished by having unusually deep body-grooves. It is fairly commonly found in 1864-65 yankee troop sites, notably the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March through the Carolinas. Also in the Richmond-Petersburg VA siege lines.
 

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The McKee-&-Mason book on civil war bullets called your mystery-bullet a Pistol-Carbine minie, but that ID has been proven to be incorrect. As Tennessee Digger said, it is definitely a Williams US Regulation .58 minie, strictly yankee-made.

The minie on the left in your photo is also strictly yankee-made. It is distinguished by having unusually deep body-grooves. It is fairly commonly found in 1864-65 yankee troop sites, notably the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March through the Carolinas. Also in the Richmond-Petersburg VA siege lines.

The CannonballGuy is exactly right. I'm glad that he is on this forum!!! Thanks Pete.
 

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The McKee-&-Mason book on civil war bullets called your mystery-bullet a Pistol-Carbine minie, but that ID has been proven to be incorrect. As Tennessee Digger said, it is definitely a Williams US Regulation .58 minie, strictly yankee-made.

The minie on the left in your photo is also strictly yankee-made. It is distinguished by having unusually deep body-grooves. It is fairly commonly found in 1864-65 yankee troop sites, notably the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March through the Carolinas. Also in the Richmond-Petersburg VA siege lines.

Thanks! The bullets were found at a site that Sherman's troops came through on their way to Columbia in February 1865.
 

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