Demonstration bullets

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:53 am Post subject: Demonstration bullets

I had some special demonstration bullets and cartridges made for my trip to Gettysburg last weekend and thought I'd share the pics. The bullets were made 1.75x actual size for two purposes: 1 - Large enough to easily see the details, 2 - There is no way these could accidentally be loaded into a musket!

A local artist, Michael Jones, turned them on the lathe for me. You really need to check out his work at www.mljwoods.com.

An actual size .58 caliber Minie is in the center of the photos for reference.

This second photo shows the bullets painted and the cartridges wrapped with paper, as is correct. The Union "Burton" bullet and cartridge are on the left, the Confederate "Gardner" bullet and cartridge are on the right. Both were .58 caliber with bullets about 500 grains, propelled by around 60 grains of black powder. Muzzle velocity was around 950 ft/sec. Actually both designers were Southerners. James H. Burton was a Virginian working at the Harpers Ferry arsenal when his design was adopted by the US Army in 1855. Frederick Gardner was a North Carolinian who designed a machine to swage the bullet to correct size while crimping the paper cartridge into the base. His Confederate patent is dated 1861.

You should have seen folks eyes pop when I got these out of my cartridge box before explaining that they were over sized!

gelandangan · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

LOL I guess they would expect you take out a cannon from your gun bag next

Suzanne · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 6:15 pm Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

How cool Pumpkin, those came out really good! Thanks for the history lesson too. I guess the brass cases came about for military use in the 1870s or so.

Suz

Elvis · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:47 pm Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

neat job.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

Suz, brass/copper cartridges started in the 1840s. Two famous Civil War weapons using brass cartridges were the Spencer and Henry rifles.

lesterg3 · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:57 am Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

And then there is the coolest weapon used (during the War of Northern Aggression) the Whitworth rifle.

Saw a real Whitworth at a Civil War (there was nothing civil about Lincoln's unprovoked attack on the South) Show in Columbia, but didn't have the $25K to buy it, its a shame I'd really like to play with a Whitworth.

Anyway PS the demo's look great. Kudos to my cousin Michael Jones for his work. But, did I miss something? Why did you need them? What were you doing with them at Gettysburg? Honestly, I may have missed what your up to so please fill in the blanks.

Aloysius · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:24 am Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

Lester, are you familiar with a Whitworth? My first muzzle-loader was a Parker Hale Volunteer in .451. Rather heavy to carry for hunting, but on the range it shows precision. It loads with BP, than a pre-fatted beercard and on top a lead conical about the size of my pink.
(But a Hawkin is much easier to clean and I'm sometimes rather lazy...)

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:40 pm Post subject: Re: Demonstration bullets

Les, we did a Living History program for the park service at Gettysburg last weekend. I'm associated with a group who goes up there every year on the second weekend in August. I've been reenacting "The War of Secession" for 33 years now.