EXPLOSIVE BULLET?

P

PIA

Established Users
At the Memphis relic show a fellow from Texas had what he says is an explosive bullet used by some CS troops in Texas. I have never seen anything like it and wondered if any of y'all might have some input.



The specimen was fired, but not exploded. It appears to be about .58 caliber, has three (maybe four) grooves, plug base with wooden plug still there, has a hole in the nose going into the interior of the bullet's body and was rather light weight for a bullet of its caliber.



Unfortunately I do not have a picture. Have any of you ever heard of or seen something like this.
 
Hello PIA,



You may have seen me at the Memphis Show. I had a table "Birch Engineering", and was selling Civil War Bullet Gauges for measuring the caliber of Bullets, etc.



YES. They did use exploding bullets. They are a rare site to see, and more rare in tact.



Here is some info I hope will help you...



There are at leats 9 known types of exploding bullets. All of which had paper cartridges, were inteded for Muzzle Loaders, and were used by both the North and the South. They caused bitter criticism and controversy. The contries in Europe outlawed them. This country did not.



They were effective in destroying ammo wagons and limbers at long range. Some were used against troops.



Most of the types used WAX as a plug, some used WET GUN POWDER that dried into a fuse, and a few had WOODEN plugs.



Some had holes in the nose to fill the bullet, others used a 2 piece bullet body.



I hoped this helped.



Jef Birch



My store website: http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/BIRC4545/

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jeff on 2002-02-18 13:08 ]</font>
 
Hello Jeff,

Yes, I remember you from the show. What intrigues me about the bullet in question is that I've never seen or heard of this particular type before. Hopefully someone out there might have some info about it, if indeed it is a CW explosive bullet.

Thanks for the reply,

Gary
 
I have a 58/59-caliber experimental explosive bullet from the Fredericksburg area. It has a wax seal or/in the cavity with a hole innthe nose (no screw puller) for the pin or percussiin cap & explosive mix to go in. It measures .581 diameter x 1.041 with wax plug and the bose hole .21 diameter x .38 deep.



Refereence book: Small Arms & Ammunition in the United States Service plate 29 # without copper nose insert.

Tom Stelma
 
explosive bullet
explosive.jpg
 
Tom,

This could very well be an unfired specimen of the bullet I saw at the Memphis show! What info do you have on it?

Gary
 
Gary



The diameter is .581 x 1.041 long, wax in cavity with .21 diameter hole x .38 deep in the nose, without copper nose insert (believed to be a percussion cap type device). Information can be found in book: "Small Arms & Ammunition in the United States Service" by Lewis. I have a top & bottom ready to go but can not get to browser.
 
Tom,



Yah got me on that bullet. I do have a British explosive that had a primer cap in the base. You can see where it mounted and the large cavity in the base. I looks like a squatty 2 ring round nose minie. Have you seen one of these?
 
Bill



I am posting 4 different explosive bullets with side profiles & base. The ones in parenthesis are or have a question as to who made them. The one labeled CSA is pretty well locked down while the British has a 50 to 75 per cent nail down. There were explosive bullets used at the battle of Antietam prior to the usage at Chancellorsville & Gettysburg.

Tom

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tjstelmajr on 2002-03-02 13:40 ]</font>
 
I have tried to post the bottom view of the 4 explosive bullets. Each is similar but different. No nozzle extention as the Gardiner, nose hole on the experimental, the CSA is a smaller bullet pointed nose, the British is rounded much like the Enfield or "Mississippi" 2-ring bullet.

Tom
Explosive Bullet Bottoms.jpg
 
I know the experimental bullet. It is often found in Canadian sites. I have one and was offered a dozen or so of them recently from a fellow from Canada who digs war of 1812 sites and several camps from post civil war military posts on the east coast.



Chuck
 
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