AMERICAN CIVIL WAR FIRED MINIE BALL BULLETS - ORIGINAL

This is for one fired American Civil War bullet. Bullets will be selected randomly.  You can not pick your bullet.

The Minie ball, is a type of bullet used extensively in the AMERICAN  CIVIL WAR.. The muzzle-loading rifle bullet was named after its codeveloper, Claude-Étienne Minié.

Although the Minié ball was conical in shape, it was commonly referred to as a “ball,” due to the round shape of the ammunition that had been used for centuries. Made of soft lead, it was slightly smaller than the intended gun bore, making it easy to load in combat. Designed with two to four grooves and a cone-shaped cavity, it was made to expand under the pressure to increase muzzle velocity. When fired, the expanding gas deformed the bullet and engaged the barrel’s rifling, providing spin for better accuracy and longer range.

Its design dramatically increased both range and accuracy, which has long been accepted as the reason for the high number of casualties in the Civil War. Some recent historians, however, question that because accuracy also depends on the soldier who pulls the trigger, and throughout the Civil War (when target practice was minimal), the combatants tended to aim too high.

More than a Billion small arms projectiles were produced by the U.S., CD and European governments for use in the American Civil War.  At least 600 types and variations of these bullets were recovered from the old battlefields and campsites.

This type of bullet or projectile was very commonly used during the Civil War.  It was designed to be fired from either a .577 or a .58 caliber rifle.  Usually either a British Enfield or an American Springfield rifled musket.

These firearms, accurate up to 500 yards, were popular throughout the war.  This bullet probably used a paper cartridge.

A well-trained soldier could fire three or four shots in a minute, or every 15 or 20 seconds.