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Civil War Era Porcelain Musket Balls
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Picture of muzza
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I recently acquired an example of a Civil War era musket ball ( approximately .85 cal ) that supposedly has a porcelain inner . Supposedly used by the Southern States as an expediant due to diminishing lead reserves?

Anyone have any information on this item - I dont have much referance on pre-metallic ammunition.
Thanks.
 
Posts: 4454 | Location: Eltham , New Zealand | Registered: 13 May 2002Reply With Quote
<thender>
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Boy, Thats a new one to me! I'll have to do some digging through the books, but I don't recsall seeing anything about ceramic cores..... [Eek!]
 
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Murray, I'll do some digging. I picked up several good references on the pre-1870 munitions in St. Louis.
 
Posts: 219 | Location: NH, USA | Registered: 12 May 2002Reply With Quote
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what does it weigh? You could always cut it open to see. [Big Grin]
 
Posts: 6277 | Location: Not Likely, but close. | Registered: 12 August 2002Reply With Quote
<thender>
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Wow! I'd think that would be more taboo than my using steel wool on a copper cartridge!? Cutting up your one and only example?..... Urffff!
 
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I thank you gents for the helpfull suggestions , but unfortunately I shall have to decline the offer to cut the damn thing up! Jeez, I thought we had some stupid guys in our country.....

I will check the weight and it was sold to me as an .80 cal ball , but I dont find any reference to such critturs in my library . I asume that it is a product of the end of the Civil War when the Southern States were desperate for lead????

During our Land Wars at the same time as the Civil War the Maori forces on the run resorted to round stones and pebbles and hand carved wooden "bullets " but that was due to a total lack of resupply . Interesting times to be sure . [Smile]
 
Posts: 4454 | Location: Eltham , New Zealand | Registered: 13 May 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of D Humbarger
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Can you post a close up photo of it?
 
Posts: 8342 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001Reply With Quote
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Why not get an X-Ray?
 
Posts: 7467 | Location: near Austin, Texas, USA | Registered: 15 December 2000Reply With Quote
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Picture of muzza
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I can scan the beasty and send it to anyone interested but I dont have the ability to post a picture on the forum . My X-ray operator left the counrty this morning for three weeks so that cancells that good idea...

Any one got good references for Civil War era musket ammo ? Dean Thomas's books would be good , but the one I have doesnt show this item .
 
Posts: 4454 | Location: Eltham , New Zealand | Registered: 13 May 2002Reply With Quote
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Muzza please scan it & email to me. blkdouglas@charter.net
 
Posts: 8342 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001Reply With Quote
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Pardon me for being so stupid but how do you X-ray a lead ball? [Confused]

FYI an 8-Bore roundball of .84 Caliber weighs 860 grains.
 
Posts: 6277 | Location: Not Likely, but close. | Registered: 12 August 2002Reply With Quote
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Good point Mickey!

I would have expected that with the x-ray machine set on a pretty high setting that we could penetrate the thin layer of lead ok , although the dispersion levels would be pretty high - and I sure dont want to have fried gonads as a result of the exercise .

The ball certainly doesnt weigh anything like 800+ grains , and it is very variable in dimension, ranging from .808" to .857" to .860".

Probably someone will tell me it is a curtain weight or something totally unrelated.....

Thanks for the help so far. [Smile]
 
Posts: 4454 | Location: Eltham , New Zealand | Registered: 13 May 2002Reply With Quote
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