Mini ball with hole...

[Vonclemen29]

Well, cutting corn today got a little break in so I got my minelab out went detecting for a few. Was there about fifteen minutes and found this











And this 45 caliber ball



But the thing is, this mini ball was drilled through all the way, then they dripped lead on top to seal it. Why?? I was thinking mercury or some sorta hollow point?.. Dunno

 

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[pong12211]

Cool finds.. Thanks for sharing..

 

[TNGUNS]

The top looks like the ramrod mark. Think it is a Williams Cleaner minus the base. Need measurement to be sure. Congrats.



Get a set of these. Will help on your ID's. (width as well as length)

 

[BuckleBoy]

You got a cleaner bullet there. Nice find! Certainly not hollow, but it had a zinc base on it at one point in time. Get out there and find more! Great work!


-Buck

 

[Vonclemen29]

Awesome! Thank y'all, sure didn't think of that. Definitely going back now. Wasn't there long. Didn't find anything else other than that ball. Maybe my new spot, thanks again

 

[Vonclemen29]

It's a type lll

Type I bullets have a central post and two zinc disks with six slits. Type I cartridges can be found in both tan and blue cartridge paper. Type II and III's have a zinc base "plunger" (similar to a flat washer), and one disk without slits. Type II cleaner cartridges can be found in both white and tan cartridge paper. Type III cartridges can be found in red, blue and tan cartridge paper. Type III bullets are also the shorter of the three designed for rifle muskets. The fourth type for the "Coffee Mill" gun which at first looks like the standard Type III is slightly larger in diameter. A vernier caliper would be needed to confirm.

According to "Round Ball to Rim Fire part 1" by Dean S. Thomas, in 1863 there is also mention of a .69 caliber version of the Williams cleaner bullet but none were ever purchased by the Ordnance Dept.

At first the standard package of 10 arsenal-issued cartridges contained eleven percussion caps in a separate tube and one Williams patent cartridge out of the 10 cartridges. Later this amount was increased to three of the 10 and then to six by August 1864. Originally Soldiers were instructed to use the special bullets as every tenth round fired.

Williams cartridges were made up in the same fashion as the standard .58 caliber cartridge with 60 grains of black powder, but no official documentation has ever been located indicating that the cartridges should be made up in a colored cartridge paper. Surviving examples show blue, red, green and a white / off white cartridge paper used along with the standard "buff" tan cartridge paper in their production.