American Civil War Bullets & Cartridges
Updated August 31, 2013
(304) 886-8200
We have finally decided to quit using the McKee & Mason book to reference our bullets. While a great book in its time (1970-1980), it is now well past its prime. While all bullet books will have mistakes, the MM book is full to the brim with mistakes and outdated information. The photographs and the shading of the bullets is horrible. This is especially true in the supplement. This book is full of fired bullets, cut off bullets, modern bullets, misnamed bullets, etc. I have also found the measurements to be off due to the lack of digital calipers during publication of the book. The days of eyeballing a bullet's size on manual calipers are long gone. Quite a few measurements in the book are taken from fired examples or examples that are slightly out of round. With the amount of great bullets on the market today, precise measurements have been recalculated on 99.999% of the known examples.
From now on, we will be referencing all of our bullets to the "Round Ball to Rimfire" series by Dean Thomas. In my opinion, these are the best researched bullet/cartridge books on the market and contain way more information than the average lead head can process. Vol. 1 is dedicated to small arms rifle/musket bullets. Vol. II is dedicated to breechloading carbine bullets. Vol. III is dedicated to pistol/revolver ammunition, and Vol. 4 is dedicated to Confederate ammunition of all types. If you are serious about collecting bullets, these books are a great investment. I would also recommend "Percussion Ammunition Packets" by John Malloy, Dean Thomas, and Terry White. If you are just getting into bullet collecting and don't want to spend a fortune I would recommend "A Handbook of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges" by Jim & Dean Thomas. For $12.00 a copy you can't beat the information provided. All of the mentioned books can be purchased directly from Thomas Publications by clicking HERE.
We will continue to list high grade bullets on this page. Most inexpensive bullets are available but will no longer be listed. If there is something you are looking for just ask....we probably have it in stock it's just not listed.
Shipping is $3.50 for 1-5 bullets. Discounts may be given on purchases over $400.00! All of our bullets are 100% authentic. We don't sell painted bullets here!
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Y266 7mm LeFaucheux Pinfire Cartridge by Eley Bros. of London Description: Very nice 7mm pinfire cartridge with a pleasing brown patina. Measures: L .886 Recovered: Non Excavated Price: $22.00 |
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Y265 .69/.70 Tower Enfield for the P51 English Musket Description: Nice .69 Tower bullet with a nose ring. This one does have one very slight flat spot on the side. Measures: D .672 L .997 C .440 Cavity: Plug Type Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 590V Recovered: Unknown Price: $40.00 |
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Y264 .69 Belgian Description: Nice .69 Belgian bullet. This is the pattern without the prominent sprue mark on the nose. Measures: D .671 L 1.113 C .368 Cavity: Conical Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 557 Recovered: Unknown Price: $35.00 |
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Y263 .69 Raleigh Pattern (Carcano/Garibaldi) Description: Nice .69 bullet manufactured at the N.C. Institute for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind in Raleigh, N.C.. This one is in great shape and the cavity walls aren't bent. Measures: D .671 L 1.084 C .432 Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. Recovered: Unknown Price: $45.00 |
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Y262 .56 Colt Revolving Rifle Bullet with Punchmark Description: Excellent CRR bullet with the harder to find small punchmark on the base. This odd patina is due to the bullet having been recovered with remnants of the paper cartridge in place. Measures: D .579 L .941 Recovered: Tennessee Price: $25.00 |
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Y261 Lot of 20 Hand Carved Civil War Bullets Description: Interesting lot of 20 different carved/whittled bullets. Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $60.00 SOLD |
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Y260 .44 Tennessee Rifle (Kerr) Description: Nice bullet with an excellent teat. Measures: D .439 L .912 Cavity: Teat Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. Recovered: Tennessee Price: $55.00 |
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Y259 .69 Machine Pressed & Turned (Prussian) Description: Excellent bullet. These are hard to dig without the skirt being bent. Measures: D .669 L 1.160 C .355 Reference: TT#188B Recovered: Central Mississippi Price: $30.00 |
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Y258 .44 Henry Carbine Bullet Description: Excellent bullet without the powder burn on the base. This one must have been plucked from the cartridge. Measures: D .449 L .657 Reference: TT#60 Recovered: Virginia Price: $15.00 SOLD |
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New Page....Reproduction Civil War Cartridges. Click the photo to view the types we have available. |
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Y251 Large Lead Canister Ball or Musketball Description: Large lead ball in very nice shape. I am thinking this would be a lead canister ball but it is perfect in shape. There is a nice nip mark on the top. Measures: D .906 Recovered: Middletown, Va. Price: $25.00 |
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Y250 .54 Enfield Measures: D .515 L 1.116 C .272 Cavity: Pointed Conical Cavity Reference: MM#222 Price: $10.00 |
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Y236 .55 Confederate "Wishing Well" Enfield Bullet Description: Here is a very nice Enfield bullet from the "Wishing Well Cache" recovered near Savannah Georgia. This is one of several thousand bullets recovered from the site. This one still has some lime crustation and some powder residue in the cavity. Measures: D .546 L 1.024 Cavity: Pointed Conical Recovered: Wishing Well Cache Price: $20.00 |
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Y235 .54 Heel Cast Three Ringer Description: Nice crisp bullet. Someone wrote 459 in the cavity with a pen. Measures: D .529 L 1.003 C .323 Cavity: Pointed Conical Recovered: Unknown Price: $10.00 |
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Y234 .49/50 Picket Bullet for Country Rifle Description: Excellent and hard to find larger picket bullet type. Measures: D .488 L .854 Cavity: None Recovered: Orange County, Virginia Price: $40.00 |
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Y233 .58 Type I Williams Regulation Cleaner Bullet Description: Nice Type I cleaner bullet with the zinc disks still attached to the bottom. Measures: D .582 L 1.088 Cavity: None Reference: TT#157 Recovered: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Price: $8.00 |
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Y231 .56 Sharps Rifle Bullet Description: Here is an excellent Sharps bullet. This is the harder to find large caliber compared to the common .52. Measures: D .576 L 1..050 Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 2 No. 484 Recovered: Unknown Price: $22.00 |
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Y230 Carved Confederate Gardner Bullet (Fishing Sinker/Pendant) Description: Here is a very nicely carved Gardner bullet. This one has a hole going the entire way through the base on both sides. There is a half moon shape carved off the nose. Recovered: Unknown Price: $15.00 |
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Y229 .44 Tennessee Rifle (.44/.45 Kerr) Description: Excellent condition Tennessee rifle bullet with a cut off teat inside of the cavity Measures: D .449 L .916 Cavity: Teat Reference: TT#63A/B Recovered: Unknown Price: $65.00 |
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Y226 Confederate .50 Breechloading Carbine Bullet (Macon Arsenal) Description: Here is an excellent bullet produced by the Confederate's for a breechloading carbine. This one was recovered from the C.S. camp directly across the river from Williamsport, Maryland. This area was a very large camp during the crossing of the Potomac. It was used directly after the battle of Gettysburg. Measures: D .522 L .910 Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 221-224 Recovered: Gettysburg Retreat Route, Williamsport, Maryland Price: $50.00 |
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Y223 .56 Sharps Rifle Bullet Description: Here is an excellent Sharps bullet. This is the harder to find large caliber compared to the common .52. Measures: D .569 L 1.032 Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 2 No. 484 Recovered: Unknown Price: $22.00 |
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Y222 Five Different .69 Three Ringers. Description: Here is an excellent set of five different .69 three ring bullets. The first one is a typical .69 with a conical cavity. The second had a higher base. The third has a stepped cone cavity. The fourth has a very deep conical cavity, and the fifth as the plug cavity. These are the exact bullets you will receive. Recovered: Virginia Price: $48.00 |
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Y221 Scare 6mm Flobert Cartridge Description: Here is a hard to find excavated 6mm French Flobert cartridge. This is as long as a .36 Colt bullet is wide. This one was recovered from a Cavalry site in S.C. The bottom has the triangle stamp in it. Measures: L .363" Reference: TT#1A Recovered: Charleston, S.C. Price: $35.00 SOLD |
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Y220 .36 Savage Revolver Bullet Description: Nice example of a Savage revolver bullet. This example has the tie ring on the base. Measures: D .376 L .706 Cavity: None Recovered: Winchester, Va. Price: $15.00 |
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Y219 .36 Savage Revolver Bullet Description: Nice .36 Savage revolver bullet with the rebated base. Measures: D .382 L .716 Cavity: None Recovered: Winchester, Va. Price: $15.00 |
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Y218 Confederate .577 Southern Manufacture Description: Excellent bullet which some call the Tennessee style. Measures: D .561 L 1.076 C .352 Cavity: Conical Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 373 V Recovered: Spanish Fort, AL Price: $22.00 |
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Y217 Confederate One-Ring Gardner Bullet Description: Excellent one-ring Gardner bullet. This one still has some of the dirt/grease in the ring. Measures: D .578 L 1.001 C .449 Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 398 Variant Recovered: Unknown Price: $35.00 |
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Y216 .55 Macon Arsenal Description: Here is an excellent bullet that is often associated with the Macon Arsenal. Although there is no proof these were produced there, the name has continued to stick. This one is in excellent condition. You can clearly see the flat spot where the sprue was attached to the side of the nose. This one was recovered from a camp in West Virginia directly across the river from Williamsport, Md. Measures: D .542 L .890 C .307 Cavity: Conical Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 227 Recovered: Gettysburg Retreat, Williamsport, Maryland (West Virginia Side of River) Price: $125.00 |
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Y215 Brass .50 Maynard Carbine Cartridge (Flat Nose) Description: Nice .50 Maynard Cartridge. This one is intact and appears to be dug but I cannot be sure. Measures: L 1.755 Recovered: Unknown Price: $55.00 |
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Z713 Packet of 8mm French Lebel Ammunition (Qty.8) Description: Here is a very nice packet of French Lebel ammunition still in the packet. This one is wrapped in cellophane to protect it. I am told that these were adopted for the Hotchkiss machine gun in 1932. Measures: 2" x 3.25" Recovered: Surplus Stocks Price: $30.00 Sale $20.00 |
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Y199 Indian War 56/.50 Spencer Cartridge Description: Here is a nice 56/.50 Spencer cartridge for the Indian War era Spencer carbine. This one has some writing on it which could be removed with some alcohol. It also has ".50 Spencer Carb" lighly engraved into the side of it. Measures: L 1.606" Price: $25.00 |
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Y197 .50 Maynard Carbine Cartridges Description: Here are two very nice .50 Maynard cartridges with the flat tops. There would have been 10 of these in a pack. Both examples are flawless and they are $55.00 each. Measures: L 1.772" Reference: RBTRF#3 No 455 Recovered: Non Excavated Price: $55.00 Each |
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Y196 Unopened Sleeve of 56/.50 Spencer Cartridges Description: Here is an excellent packet of seven .50 Spencer cartridges. There would have been six of these sleeves in an original box of 42 cartridges. This would make an excellent addition to any cartridge collection or Spencer carbine display. This box is complete but does have a few weak corners. Measures: 1.75" x 4" Price: $125.00 Sale $70.00 |
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Y191 U.M.C. .50-110 H.V. Cartridge Description: Here is an excellent cartridge for the .50-110. This one is a high velocity cartridge and is an excellent example of the harder to find obsolete cartridges. These early cartridges were used with the Buffalo rifles of the West. Measures: D L 2.738" Price: $35.00 |
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Y187 Brass .54 Burnside Carbine Cartridge Description: Here is a very nice cartridge for the .54 Burnside Carbine. This is a brass cartridge and has a small bump and crack on the rim. Measures: L 2.4" Price: $50.00 |
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Y160 Frankford Arsenal .50/70 Cartridge Description: This is a very nice .50/70 internally (Benet) primed cartridge. There is a small crimp near the base on both sides. These were used heavily from 1866-1872/3 and were the primary cartridge of the post Civil War years. This particular cartridge has no headstamp and was produced at the Frankford Arsenal. Measures: L 2.29" Price: SOLD |
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Z539 Shipwreck Recovered Grouping of Spencer Carbine Cartridges etc. Description: Here is an excellent relic from the American Civil War. This is a very large concretion recovered from an underwater shipwreck. This one has a ton of Spencer Carbine bullets attached to it. It also has a bayonet scabbard tip attached to the end. You can clearly see where a 24lb. spherical cannonball was resting on the left side of this piece. There are 25+ Spencer cartridges hanging out of this piece at all different angles. This would easily be a great centerpiece for any bullet collection. This piece is quite stable but it must be picked up or delivered to a show. Measures Approximately 13" x 8" Weight: 13lbs. 5oz. Recovered: Unknown Price: $595.00 |
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Y156 Confederate .577 Enfield Bullet Description: Here is a nice Enfield bullet showing crude manufacturing. This one is nose cast and has some great cold pour lines on it. Judging the direction of the lines it appears that this one was swirled as it cooled. Measures: D .565 L 1.009 C .252 Cavity: Conical Recovered: Unknown Price: $15.00 |
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Y154 .56 Colt Revolving Rifle Bullet with Dimple Cavity Description: Here is an excellent example of the hard to find pattern of .56 Colt Revolving Rifle bullets. This one has the small punch mark on the base and a small air pocket. Measures: D .572 L .896 C .062 Cavity: Dimple Reference: RBTRF Vol. 2 No. 397 Variant Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $30.00 |
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Y153 Confederate Nose Cast .577 Enfield Bullet Description: Here is a nice .577 Enfield bullet recovered from Tennessee. This one is nose cast and is very pointy. It has a conical cavity with a very thin skirt and mold seams on both sides. Measures: D .550 L 1.016 C .299 Cavity: Conical Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 509 Variant Recovered: Tennessee Price: $12.00 |
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Y146 US/CS .38 Picket Bullet for Country Rifle Description: Here is an excellent .38 picket bullet that would have been used in a variety of different country rifles. This one is perfect and the base is nice and flat. Measures: D .374 L .698 C N/S Cavity: None Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $22.00 |
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Y145 Confederate .54 Long Pattern Enfield Bullet Description: Here is an excellent long pattern Enfield bullet. This would have been used with the .54 Mississippi rifle. This one is in excellent shape. Measures: D .528 L 1.221 C .283 Cavity: Conical Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 N0. 289-290 Recovered: Spanish Fort, Alabama Price: $35.00 |
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Y143 Federal .56 Sharps Rifle Bullet Description: Here is an excellent large caliber sharps for the .56 Sharps Rifle. These were originally produced in a paper cartridge and approximately 400,000 were purchased by Colonel Symington according to Dean Thomas. The paper cartridges produced by other Arsenals were found to be defective and the later versions were made the linen tubes. This is the largest bullet produced by the Sharp's Rifle Manufacturing Company during the war Measures: D .572 L 1.059 C N/A Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 2 No. 484 Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Area Price: $25.00 |
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Y137 Confederate .50 Breechloading Carbine Bullet Description: Here is a very nice .50 Confederate carbine bullet. These are thought to have been a product of the Macon Arsenal but that is unconfirmed. These are commonly dug in Confederate positions all around Williamsport, Md. and across the river in Falling Waters, WV. This example is in excellent shape. The dark line running horizontal on the bullet is not a gash but a high spot that is worn down. It is thought that this style may be for a Gallager or Smith carbine. Measures: D .513 L .920 C N/A Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. Recovered: Williamsport, Md. Gettysburg Retreat Route Price: $45.00 |
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Y133 .52 Confederate Selma Arsenal Sharps Carbine Bullet Description: Here is an excellent "Selma Arsenal" Sharps pattern. These have now been identified as coming from the Selma Arsenal as many were dug at the site and regions supplied by this arsenal. This one is in very nice shape with the small tie ring on the base. Measures: D .542 L .993 C N/A Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 Page 195 Recovered: Unknown Price: $30.00 |
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Y132 Complete Excavated .54 Burnside Carbine Cartridge Description: Here is a very nice excavated .54 Burnside Cartridge. This one is intact and original but there is a dent on one side that throws the bullet out of line a few degrees. There are no cracks or chips in the cartridge. The bullet has some powder burn which is quite common on these cartridges. Measures: L 2.436" Recovered: Winchester, Virginia Price: $50.00 |
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Y130 Reconstructed .52 Spencer Carbine Cartridge Description: Here is a very nice reconstructed Spencer Carbine cartridge. This one is free of major flaws and the bullet fits in the cartridge casing very nicely. Measures: L 1.694" Recovered: Kearneysville, West Virginia Price: $16.00 |
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Z185 .58 Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun Cartridge Description: Here is a very nice cartridge for the twenty five barrel Billinghurst Requa Battery Gun. This gun was designed by Dr. Josephus Requa, and William Billinghurst. This gun was able to fire 175 rounds a minute at the rate of 25 at a time. These 25 cartridges were loaded into a hinged clip and fired in a single volley. These guns were used at Petersburg, Fort Sumter, and Cold Harbor. This original cartridge would make an excellent addition to any Civil War Cartridge Collection. Measures: 2.5" Price: $135.00 |
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Y109 .54 Burnside Cartridge Piece Description: Nice excavated .54 Burnside cartridge top. This one still has some of the hull attached to it. You can still see the powder packed in the base where the cartridge broke. Measures: L 1.5" Recovered: Hauser Farm, Sharpsburg, Md. Price: $15.00 |
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Y108 .54 Burnside Cartridge Description: This .54 Burnside Carbine bullet is in great shape but the cartridge has cracked towards the bottom. The hull is still full of powder and is crushed on the end. Measures: L 2" Recovered: Hauser Farm, Sharpsburg, Md. Price: $20.00 |
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Y78 US/CS .38 Picket Bullet Description: This is an excellent .38 Picket Rifle bullet. The patina and the base are flawless. Measures: D .372 L .623 C N/A Cavity: None Reference: TT#211 Series Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $20.00 |
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Y76 .36 3rd Pattern Richmond Laboratory for the Colt Navy Revolver Description: This is an excellent example of the 3rd pattern .36 Colt revolver bullet. The third pattern is just a little bit longer than the 2nd pattern and the nose is a little wider. This allowed the bullet to be forced into the rifling. This allowed the bullet to grab the rifling a little better and produce a stable flight pattern. Measures: D .384 L .594 C None Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 14 Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $35.00 |
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Y75 .36 2nd Pattern Richmond Laboratory for the Colt Navy Revolver Description: This is the second pattern of the .36 Richmond Laboratory Colt Bullets. The first pattern looks very similar to your common .36 Colt. This second pattern had its own problems as the nose section was smaller and it didn't take to the bore quite right. This particular example is in excellent condition. Measures: D .366 L .565 C N/A Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 12 Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $35.00 |
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Y74 Confederate .44 Colt (Old Style) Description: Here is an excellent .44 "Old Style" Colt revolver bullet. This is the Confederate version of the .44 Dragoon. These were also produced at the Richmond Laboratory. This one has a slight hint of a rebated base. Measures: D .457 L .785 C N/A Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 30 Recovered: Shenandoah Valley Price: $12.00 |
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Y70 Confederate .577/.58 Selma Lube Groove Description: This is an excellent example of a shallow cavity Selma Lube Groove. These bullets were produced at the Selma Arsenal in Alabama. There is also a deep cavity version of this bullet as well. Measures: D .570 L 1.004 C .268 Cavity: Small Plug Type Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 337 Recovered: Spanish Fort, Alabama Price: $20.00 |
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Y67 Confederate .577/.58 French Triangle Cavity (Blow Through) Description: Here is an excellent example of how Confederate ammunition often failed. There were several types of ammunition that were prone to blowing clean through like the triangle cavity bullets and the Gardner bullets. Flaws in casting like air pockets created weak areas in the bullets core. Upon firing the pressure would be to great and the bullet would blow apart from the inside. Measures: D .582 L 1.136 C Δ Cavity: Pointed Triangle Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 329 Variant Recovered: Virginia Price: $35.00 |
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Y65 Confederate .58 Side Cast Bullet Description: Here is an excellent side cast three ringer. Instead of being nose cast, these were cast on the side of the nose. This one has an excellent nip mark where the sprue was cut off. This one has that peppered deep woods patina. These are thought to have been a product of the Nashville or Atlanta arsenal. Measures: D .566 L 1.001 C .278 Cavity: Conical Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. 333 Recovered: Tennessee Price: $16.00 |
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Y64 Confederate .54 Merrill Carbine Bullet Description: Here is an outstanding .54 Merrill Carbine bullet. These were manufactured at the Richmond Laboratory for the Confederacy. This one has a very slick patina and great mold characteristics. McKee & Mason mistakenly called this bullet a Confederate Morse Carbine bullet in their bullet book. This is the one ring version but there is also a three ring version that is similar. Measures: D .552 L .840 C None Cavity: None Reference: RBTRF Vol. 4 No. Recovered: Unknown Price: $60.00 |
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Y49 .36 Colt with Punchmark Description: Here is a tough one to track down. This is the .36 with the punch indentation in the base. Measures: D .378 L .628 C N/A Cavity: Small Punchmark Reference: RBTRF Vol. 3 No.754 Price: $20.00 |
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Z542 A Handbook of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges by Jim & Dean Thomas Description: This is an excellent little handbook on Civil War bullets and cartridges. There are some great examples in here with plenty of updated information. In my opinion, this book is better than the $40.00 McKee & Mason book that is full of errors. This book covers a wide variety of bullets used by the North & South. Price: $12.00 Each (Qty. Available 0) Temp. Unavailable! |
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Z453 .43 Spanish Reformado Cartridges (11.5mm x 57R) Description: Nice grouping of surplus cartridges used in the Rolling Block rifles made for Spain by Remington. These bullets were thought to be poisonous when they entered the body. The brass outer layer would form verdigris and it was thought that it was poisonous to the body. Recovered: Surplus Stocks Price: $10.00 each Qty Available 10 |
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Y11 .54 Georgia Troops Measures: D .525 L 1.031 C .129 Cavity: Teat Price: $16.00 |
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