Hessian Mini?

[Lazouave]

I missed this one while cleaning the 30+ bullets my wife found at Vicksburg a couple of weeks ago.
When I started recording our finds I noticed this was only had two rings. It appears to be a Hessian, number 559, in Mason & McKee.

It has 4 very pronounce raised wide rifle marks. It has very deep, wide cavity that is is similar to a "Lovell' base.

What say you bullet experts?

[tom buckley]

Some measurements would be helpful. If it is .69 caliber, I would think that it is a "Prussian". A TT 188 variant.

[Lazouave]

Hi Tom
base is so distorted that I couldnt give you accurate data.

[misipirelichtr]

John, I agree with Tom.  If its a .69, I believe it is a Prussian.  I do have a question - if the Honey Badger found 30+ bullets, what did you find?  couple of tin cans and a few fish net sinkers 

[ETEX]

John, in the first post you said the base appeared to be similar to a lovell base and then mentioned it was to distorted to give accurate data. Were you referring to the base being to distorted for accurate measurements for diameter or did you mean the cavity is too distorted for accurate data. If it doesn't have a conical cavity it won't be a Hessian and by the pic it would then appear to be a Prussian.

[Lazouave]

I found the cannonball! She was on a roll though, so I stayed out of the way.

ETEX - the base is pretty messed-up as the pic I just attached shows. It is very close the the M&M 287.
Base looks right. The deepest part of the base measures 0.375".

Of the hundreds of bullets we have found there. I have never seen one like this there.

[Pete George]

Lazouave, your minie's caliber, two grooves, base-cavity shape, and cavity depth seem to confirm it is one of the varieties of so-called "Prussian" minies... though the Thomas Brothers' research has confirmed those minies are not German-made, they are actually a US-made "pressed-&-turned" bullet.

  An actual Lovell cavity is shaped somewhat differently than a "Prussian" minie's cavity, and is much deeper than .375-inch.

Regards,
Pete

[ETEX]

Pete,

You are totally correct in your response. One oddity of the pressed and turned bullet with the old common name of the Prussian is I have seen numerous different cavity depths but none with a Lovell or a conical. There are dang near as many "Prussian" bullets as Sharps/Colts varieties with the different groove depth and width. They tend to be like the MM-337, 355 and 410 when it comes to variations on the machined grooves. A good oddball machined bullet is in the MM supplement and is the MM-646.

This thread got a little side tracked but definitely can be educational on the machined and turned bullets.

[Lazouave]

Very educational and interesting.

Thanks guys.