Bullet ID

[fyrffytr1]

While going through my bullet collection I came across this one and can't correctly ID it. As far as I can tell there are 6 (maybe 7?) parallel rifling marks and a small ridge around the top where the bullet starts its taper. There is also one crimp groove around the bottom. The pictures give the rest of the information. As always, thanks for any and all help.

 

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[fyrffytr1]

I was told that this could be a bullet that was fired through a smaller caliber gun.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Meant to reply to your ID-request sooner, m'friend... but I've been ill. First... your fired bullet's precisely measured diameter indicates it was fired from a .50-caliber rifle. The only bullet I know of which has the 6-spokes swage mark in its base is the civil war yankee .58 Machine-Pressed-&-Turned minie-bullet. (Incorrectly known as a "Swaged-base" minie.) The Thomas-&-Thomas "Handbook Of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges: says that bullet's precise weight is 538 grains, which matches exactly with your bullet's weight. I do believe your bullet is a 6-spoke "Swaged" minie which was fired from a .50-caliber (or .52-caliber) Breechloader. The circa-.570"-diameter mine was placed into the "oversize" breech and fired through the rifle's .50" (or .52") diameter bore... which had the effect of squeezing & stretching the bullet. We know this happened with .52 Sharps Rifles. But this situation would HAVE TO be a .50 Breechloader which did not use a metallic cartridge. The problem is, I don't know of any such .50 Breechloader. The .50 Smith Carbine bullet had a rubber casing to seal the breech, and a percussion-cap for ignition. The .50 Smith is the only candidate I can think of for what fired your .502"-diameter "stretched" minie.

BUT... the .50 Smith had only 3 rifling grooves. You've reported 6 rifling marks on your fired minie. The .52 Sharps had 6 grooves. So that makes me think maybe your bullet was fired from a .52 Sharps but has lost some of its original diameter due to corrosion. I think that has to be the correct diagnosis, because the Smith's 3-groove rifling excludes your bullet.

The crude scan attached below shows some .58 bullets which got "stretched" by firing through a .52 Sharps gunbarrel. From left to right, those bullets are:
.58 Williams Regulation minie
.58 Williams "Bore-Cleaner" bullet
.56 Richmond Arsenal Sharps bullet

 

[fyrffytr1]

Thanks for the reply TCG. I hope you are feeling better. This is one of the bullets that was in my brothers collection but he is no longer with us so I can't ask him anything about it. I doubt there are many more of these out there though.