Bullet in Wood - Five Spoke Base .58 Caliber Bullet

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This excavated machine made .58 caliber bullet, with a five spoke base, is securely lodged within a small chunk of wood which was recovered from a Civil War site in the Richmond, VA area. The bullet has a grey-whitish patina. The wood section measures approximately 1-7/16 x 2-3/4 x 7/8 inches. This particular bullet, for rifle musket, was manufactured on a machine that pressed and turned conical bullets. 

About the bullet: According to "Round Ball to Rimfire, Part One" by Dean S. Thomas, on page 148,

"J. D. Custer did secure patent No. 43,102 for his bullet machine on June 14, 1864. The uniqueness of Custer's design produced a projectile that was both pressed and turned. This machine took a lead slug of the proper size and first pressed it to form the nose and the cavity of the bullet. The partially formed ball was then transported on a turntable to an automatic lathe where the bullet was revolved against a cutting tool that produced the grooves and finished the projectile as it spun. Indentations in the cavity, that look like the spokes of a wheel, were formed by the center that rotated the ball during the "turning" operation. Slippage of this center is very evident on many specimens."

Similar examples of this type bullet and öther examples of "bullets in wood" can be found the following reference books:

  • "Round Ball to Rimfire, Part One" by Dean S. Thomas, on page 152. (also, see sketch of Custer's bullet machine, page 149)
  • "Civil War Projectiles II Small Arms & Field Artillery with Supplement" by W. Reid McKee and M. E. Mason, Jr. on page 48, items 343-348.
  • "Some Civil War Bullets 2" by Thomas J. Stelma on pages 221-223.
  • "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of The Civil War" by Stanley S. Phillip, page 190
  • "Civil War Artifacts of the Western Campaigns" by Charles S. Harris, page 195.

See scans of the above pages in the additional images. 

This bullet in wood will be an excellent addition to any excavated Civil War bullet, battlefield, or general relic collection.


Product Code:
PC9074

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