Minie Balls ~ Found these today!

[jeffafd]

Are these Minie Balls? ~ Found them today!

I'm assuming these are Minie Balls. I have found a number of them in the same area previously, but those were all fired, these I assume are unfired?

They do have nice patina on them, but unsure of age, caliber, etc... if anyone can add their input.

They are approx. 12mm across the bottom and approx. 15mm tall.

 

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[BosnMate]

Not mini balls. 12 mm relates to -- according to this laptop anyhow -- .472 inches, which would be about right for a home cast .45 caliber bullet, that would then be run through a sizer and squeezed down to .457. I don't know the age of your bullets, but they don't look like anything related to the Civil War to me. Some one else might trump that statement, but I don't think your bullets are that old.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

As Nhbenz said, they are not Minie-bullets... which "by definition" have a cavity in their base to aid its expansion outward into a Muzzleloader firearm's rifling-grooves. The base of your bullets it flat and solid (no cavity), which indicates they are for a Breechloading or Cylinder-loading firearm.

Although your measurement saying 12 millimeters (.472-inch) diameter puts us in the ballpark, we need you to use a digital caliper to provide us with super-precise measurement of the bullet's diameter, in hundredths-of-an-inch... because even as little as .02-inch is important for CORRECTLY identifying the bullet. It would also help to weigh the bullet on a Jeweler's Scale, telling us its weight in grains, because grains is the standard used in bullet weights.

Your bullets are not shown in any of the collectors'-guidebooks on civil war bullets, which indicates they are from sometime after the civil war ended (1865). Because they have a civil-war-ish form, I searched through some resources on 1866-1880s bullets. I found a very close match. Until I get the super-precise diameter and weight measurements from you, my "best guess" is that your bullets are mid-1870s through 1880s Colt .44 Single-Action "New Model" (Model-1873) Army Revolver bullets. Note that the lower ring (raised band) on your bullets is slightly smaller than the raised band above it. That indicates the bullet is from a metallic cartridge. Examine the bullet in the cartridge at far right in the photo at the following link, in the section titled "Early .44 Colt Cartridges":
THE CARTRIDGE COLLECTOR

 

[Davers]

Great ID CBG
Their still pretty Cool old slugs.
Davers

 

[jeffafd]

As Nhbenz said, they are not Minie-bullets... which "by definition" have a cavity in their base to aid its expansion outward into a Muzzleloader firearm's rifling-grooves. The base of your bullets it flat and solid (no cavity), which indicates they are for a Breechloading or Cylinder-loading firearm.

Although your measurement saying 12 millimeters (.472-inch) diameter puts us in the ballpark, we need you to use a digital caliper to provide us with super-precise measurement of the bullet's diameter, in hundredths-of-an-inch... because even as little as .02-inch is important for CORRECTLY identifying the bullet. It would also help to weigh the bullet on a Jeweler's Scale, telling us its weight in grains, because grains is the standard used in bullet weights.

Your bullets are not shown in any of the collectors'-guidebooks on civil war bullets, which indicates they are from sometime after the civil war ended (1865). Because they have a civil-war-ish form, I searched through some resources on 1866-1880s bullets. I found a very close match. Until I get the super-precise diameter and weight measurements from you, my "best guess" is that your bullets are mid-1870s through 1880s Colt .44 Single-Action "New Model" (Model-1873) Army Revolver bullets. Note that the lower ring (raised band) on your bullets is slightly smaller than the raised band above it. That indicates the bullet is from a metallic cartridge. Examine the bullet in the cartridge at far right in the photo at the following link, in the section titled "Early .44 Colt Cartridges":
THE CARTRIDGE COLLECTOR

Thanks for the replies guys.... I will see if i can get more precise measurements and weights in the next couple of days. I appreciate the knowledge and answers. I have found numerous smashed ones down an old path on the back of our property, these 3 were all along the same path and I'm certain there are more.