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Bullet identification help

tmann79

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Feb 10, 2019
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1
Dug these in an old farm field. Curious of age.
 

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It is very hard to know with those. Many people cast their of bullets for modern muzzleloading. They could be 150 years old or in recent decades. Good idea is to check for signs of 'rifling' which was not used until end of Civil War. But even then...some modern enthusiasts use smooth bores.
 
What are the Diameters????

The one on the left is modern due to the crimp ring.
Middle not sure of.
The one on the right could be anything but does show rifling marks.

None seem to have much corrosion so likely to be fairly modern.

It is very hard to know with those. Many people cast their of bullets for modern muzzleloading. They could be 150 years old or in recent decades. Good idea is to check for signs of 'rifling' which was not used until end of Civil War. But even then...some modern enthusiasts use smooth bores.

The Pennsylvania and Kentucky RIFLES were 'Rifled' (hence their name). These were made from the early 1700s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_rifle
 
The one in the middle looks modern. That groove towards the base is a lube ring where any sort of wax type lubricant is inserted. Have 1,000's of them and still making them.
 
They all look 50-cal. Is that correct? If so, weren't CW bullets generally larger cal?

As for CW rifles they were around pretty much throughout the war. In the spring of 1863, in the middle of the civil war, the union started using MP&T bullets in their rifled guns. You can find them in chancellorsvillle for example.
 
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