Reference Items
Cartridges
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.52 Cal Hall Carbine cartridge
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This is a near perfect condition .52 caliber cartridge for either the Hall
rifle or carbine. It is made of heavy buff
colored paper wrapped around a round ball, which was then tied with tan string
at the nose of the cartridge and again at the base of the ball. The paper was closed at the tail with a long flat
fold. The cartridge is 2” long.
The Hall firearms were produced in Harper’s Ferry Arsenal in Virginia and
were one of the first breach loading firearms used by the US military. They had
been manufactured in large numbers prior to the Civil War, but by the time the
conflict was fully involved, the Halls had become obsolete. Many carbines were
issued to the Western troops, who disliked and disposed of them as quickly as
possible.
This cartridge is in excellent condition. It was probably produced either
just before or early in the war. Hall cartridges have a fairly low survival
rate, especially in this condition.
Member - Mike Sorenson
Item #: CIV-278
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.54 Cal Merrill Carbine Cartridges
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Two different models of Merrill carbines
were manufactured during the war years by H. Merrill of Baltimore,
Maryland. They fired a .54 caliber
bullet which was packaged with either red or white paper, the red wrapper being
more common. The paper is usually quite
thin and is glued against the bullet, then folded and sealed at the base. Each round is 1½” in length. The
Merrills were a well accepted military issue carbine and large quantities saw
service during the war. There were also a limited number of Merrill rifles issued.
Member - Mike Sorenson
Item #: CIV-277
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.58 Cal Fayetteville Williams Cleaner
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During the Civil War, extended
periods of weaponry caused the barrels of firearms to foul with the residue of
black powder. After a number of rounds
had been fired in succession, it became difficult for the soldier to ram ammunition home to the breech of the barrel while reloading.
In 1861, Elijah D. Williams
applied for a patent with the U.S. government for a unique minie ball intended to resolve this problem in
the field. A specialized .58 caliber
ball which was to bear his name, was cast with a small plunger at its base, slightly spaced
from the base of the bullet and attached by a small throat at its center. The space was filled with zinc. Upon discharge of the firearm, the disc
compressed against the base of the ball, forcing the zinc outward where it
scraped against the lands of the barrel while passing down the bore. This process, at least to a degree, removed
the fouling inside the barrel. A common practice in the Federal armies was
to fire a "Williams Cleaner” at regular intervals between discharges of normal elongated bullets in an effort to keep the bore of the rifle clean.
This cartridge is a Confederate copy of the .58 caliber Williams cleaner, produced at Fayetteville Armory.
It is wrapped in buff paper, tied with tan twine at its nose. The tail is folded closed. This specimen is 2¼” in length. Fayetteville Arsenal in North Carolina produced a
variety of weapons and ammunition until its capture and razing by William
Tecumseh Sherman in March of 1865
Member - Mike Sorenson
Item #: CIV-276
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Click on an image to enlarge
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The .50 caliber Smith carbine was
a breech loading arm used by Cavalry during the Civil War. Pictured here are two cartridges used by the
Smith carbine. The first is a paper and
foil wrapped cartridge. It was made under the Poultney Patent and was
a disposable cartridge, the paper wrap being consumed during discharge. It is 1⅞” in length. The paper is pleated and wrapped at the back,
with a small hole for the flame from the percussion cap to enter. The second cartridge
(forward in the image) is the rare rubber version of the same cartridge. Rubber wrapped ammunition was thought to be
more durable against the jostling of cartridges while on mounted duty, but the rubber casing required
extraction after discharge. This proved to
be a touchy undertaking while under fire.
Furthermore, as the barrel heated during use the rubber fouled in the
hot breach of the barrel and made extraction even more difficult.
Member - Mike Sorenson
Item #: CIV-275
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.69 caliber buck & ball cartridge
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Designed solely for military use,
the buck and ball cartridge has been around from as early as the Revolutionary
War. During the War of 1812, it was the
standard issue military round. The
cartridge usually contained a .69 caliber round shot with three additional
round buckshot, these being approximately .31 caliber. The cartridges were fabricated alternatively
with the round ball against the powder, or held forward of the buckshot. In addition, approximately 110 grains of
black powder was neatly packaged within the brown paper wrap. The larger shot was intended to strike the
primary target, with the buckshot scattering and causing additional injury in
the opposing lines. This ammunition was
used with significant impact when fired at close range from a smoothbore musket. But at distances beyond 150 yards, accuracy
declined and the smaller buckshot quickly lost energy.
During the Civil War, these
cartridges were manufactured by the millions at seventeen Federal arsenals and
numerous additional state facilities. At
Watervliet Arsenal in West Troy, New York, nearly 2½ million buck and ball
cartridges were fabricated in 1862 alone.
Specimens of .69 caliber round shot and .31 caliber buckshot are found
on virtually every Civil War battlefield.
This cartridge is wrapped in
brown paper and tied with red string.
The ball end is fastened closed with a tie, the tail is folded closed. Its overall length is 2½”. Within this example, the buckshot surmounts
the ball. Although assembled both ways,
a study conducted at Watervliet Arsenal in 1848 indicated that accuracy for
both the round ball and the buckshot was increased when the ball was placed against
the powder and used as a gas seal to push the buckshot down the barrel upon
discharge.
Member - Mike Sorenson
Item #: CIV-274
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Click on an image to enlarge
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The Shaler three piece conical bullet
is one of the most interesting bullets to see service in the Civil
War. It is a multi-piece .58 caliber bullet that was invented by Reuben
Shaler of New York. After discharge, the three sections were intended to spread
apart allowing for more impact points on a designated target, but with far
greater accuracy than its buck ‘n ball counterpart. The nose section was to follow the line of
fire of a standard mini-ball, while the two base portions with less than
perfect shape after emerging from the barrel would diverge slightly and broaden
the target impact area. As the war progressed, Shaler’s bullet design evolved
as he endeavored to improve its accuracy and range.
Shaler
began to market his sectional bullet to the War Department only a few months
after the firing on Fort Sumter. His
sales effort was to last through the duration of the war and resulted in only lackluster
interest from the Federal army. Seen
here are three of the five known variations in dug condition but with all three
sections present on each bullet. Two of
the five variations saw very limited production and have never been excavated
on a battlefield. The recovery of Shaler
sectional bullets is generally associated with the movements of the Army of the
Potomac.
Member - Mike Sorenson
Item #: CIV-273
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