More from the Indian War Fort Site

[Mason Jarr]

I'm back with another group of bullets. I've looked in the T&T Handbook and these seem similar to the #110 listed, but they are heavier than the #110 and don't have a "punch mark in the base". Best one measured .548 dia, .927 length and weighs 451gr. Solid base, two rings. Thanks for any help. I appreciate the IDs thus far.

[emike123]

I believe these are Sharps bullets.

[vcorps70]

They look more like #111 to me. The small differences in weight etc. may fall within the accepted tolerances of the time.

[Mason Jarr]

They look more like #111 to me. The small differences in weight etc. may fall within the accepted tolerances of the time.

#111 seems to have a significant distance between the base and the first ring. It looks like the ones I found have a smaller distance between those features. I'm not certain from the words in the T&T handbook, but mine says, "Records indicate that Richmond initially made their Sharps bullets too small in diameter." I took this to mean that #111 was a Southern manufactured bullet. Do you think the soldiers manning the forts out west would have been using Southern manufactured bullets?

[vcorps70]

I stand corrected, I highly doubt any CS mfg bullets were used in the western Indian wars. With out giving up any good hunting areas, can you say where about you found these?

[Mason Jarr]

I stand corrected, I highly doubt any CS mfg bullets were used in the western Indian wars. With out giving up any good hunting areas, can you say where about you found these?

Oregon

[vcorps70]

Yeah, no CS troops in the North West. Must be another Sharps variant. Friends and I picked up a couple of rounded nose Sharps variants near the old Benicia Arsenal back in the 80?s.

[vcorps70]

Another possibility, might this be a post war, metallic cartridge Sharps round? I have no reference books for post 1865. Any shell casings from this site?

[Mason Jarr]

Another possibility, might this be a post war, metallic cartridge Sharps round? I have no reference books for post 1865. Any shell casings from this site?

Yes, I've found .56-50, .50-70 and .44 Henry there.

[mgmradio]

They look like 56-56 Spencer bullets to me.

[Mason Jarr]

They look like 56-56 Spencer bullets to me.

I considered that, but the .56-56 bullet was around 350-360gr.

[Mason Jarr]

Here's a cartridge I found at another location that I'm pretty certain is a .56-56 Spencer. I've laid one of the bullets I'm trying to get an ID for underneath it. I know they used more than one type of bullet, but these two aren't a match.