Rookie.. Button ID

[TaylorES]

I'm a rookie to all this swingin' nonsense, you got to love it right.. I've got some property in Central Va around some old battle sites that are historically preserved... Have only found a few bullets so far can anyone help with an ID

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[TaylorES]

sorry folks, a little too much research in a short period of time on this subject jogged my mind. Hoping someone can help me with the identification of these BULLETS! thanks for your support

[Guthormsen1]

From what I can tell from your pictures, the bullet on the left is a .52 cal Sharps, and the one on the right is a standard .58 cal 3-ring minnie ball. I would need precise measurements with a caliper to be certain. Sounds like you have a GOOD place to hunt.

[TaylorES]

I had been given a few of those .58 cal minnie balls before i actually dug this one in particular... But as far as the .52 cal sharps bullet (dug in my back yard) i don't know much about it. Anyone with information would be a great help.

[PCGeorge]

Your .58-caliber 3-groove minie looks to me like it MIGHT be a CS-made one. I'd also like to get a better look at the maybe-Sharps, after you clean the dirt-encrustation off it. Soak the bullets in water for a while, then gently scrub off the crud with an old toothbrush.) As I mentioned in my reply to your other post, you're welcome to bring them by my house for a real-time ID. Because civil war projectiles have been my special-interest area among relics for the past 35 years, I've got a good set of digital calipers for precision measuring of them.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]

[TaylorES]

Thanks again... and you will be hearing back from me George. I love to associate with people who share the same passion as me as well as anyone who respects the good outdoors. Here is another bullet i found today.

Upon cleaning it i realized it two piece structure and copper insert throughout the cavity. If i am not mistaking. This one is a 2 ring Gardiner .54 cal.

[longf70]

Actualy a Gardner and a Gardiner is two different bullets. The Gardner is what you have here was made of one piece of lead, cast bullet that that had a flange on it and was then put in a press with the paper and powder to make a "all in one bullet". See this link for a unfinshed bullet Gardner bullet manufacture.
The Gardner is the bullet of the Confederacy and was only manufactured for about two or three years due to the paper tearing at the crimping area.
The bullet you have pictured here is a Gardner. I have found several of them here in East TN, as a matter of fact, when I first started this hobby that later became an obsession, the Gardner was the first bullet I ever found.

The Gardiner Bullet was termed the Exploding Bullet and was manufactured for the Union Army and only about 120,000 were ever made. These had a copper "acorn" inside of the bullet that was designed to explode about a second and a half after firing. Here is a link with a more detailed description. The Samuel Gardiner "Musket Shell"
The Gardiner is only found in your area becuase they were issued around the time of the Gettysburg conflict.

Now for the diclaimer, I do not claim to be an expert but I believe I have pretty much got the basic facts straight. PCGeorge probably could confirm this.

Great Find!!