Federal .58 Caliber 3-Ring Explosive Bullet - Lower Portion w/ Copper Vessel Exposed

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Item: Federal .58 Caliber 3-Ring Explosive Bullet - Lower Portion w/ Copper Vessel Exposed
Construction: Cast pewter with copper vessel. 
Condition: Lower portion only. Dark patina. Rings and copper vessel visible on a nicely rounded base. No raised patent letters visible on the rim. No repairs.
Recovered: September 19, 1981 in the area of Chancellorsville, VA 
Approximate size:  .574 inch diameter.

Reference: Complete examples, including images of the "copper vessel", can be found in the following Civil War relic reference books:

  • "Round Ball to Rimfire, Part One" by Dean S. Thomas, on page 191, #252 & 254.
  • "Civil War Projectiles II Small Arms & Field Artillery with Supplement" by W. Reid McKee and M. E. Mason, Jr. on page 63, item #532 & 536 A.

See scans of the above pages in the additional images. 

Comments: Explosive bullets are rarely recovered and finding one that exposes the interior copper vessel is quite unique. Samuel Gardiner, Jr. received patent #40,468 on November 23, 1863 for his exploding bullet or “musket shell.”  This bullet has several distinctive characteristics.  It has a dark color because it was cast of pewter which was harder than lead and would fragment.  A fuse nozzle is visible in the cavity which leads to a powder-filled copper vessel in the center of the bullet. These bullets were simply intended to cause more damage to their target. This explosive bullet portion was acquired directly from the Virginia digger who maintained a journal of his days of detecting and subsequent relic recoveries for nearly a decade. His journal included this find in an entry made in September 20, 1981, a scan of which is included in the additional images. His entry includes not only a list of items he found, but also those of his digging buddy, as well as the time of day in military time. Those were the days, indeed. Also included in the additional images is a scanned image of the digger (on far left), with his hunting buddies and their detectors. This example will not only be a great addition to any Civil War bullet or general relic collection, but also an excellent educational tool.

Product Code:
PC8824

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