Harpers Ferry Slug

[tom buckley]

Greetings All,

Were the Harpers Ferry Slugs ( 232 & 233 in  RBRF4) loaded with a patch?

This is just one of the questions that have been building up in my mind over the past months. Unfortunately, at my age I can't remember the other questions. 

tom buckley (formerly TVBuck)

[Tom Stelma]

Tom,

No, they were a for a muzzle-loader without a patch.

I think you got the numbers mixed up but I also understand the memory thing as I do not remember a lot these days myself. 

MM 352 (232) and MM 353 (233) have a name problem as they are called Burton after their designer, Harper's Ferry as they were made there, and called a pistol carbine bullet which in my humble opinion is a mis-nomer as they were a musket/rifle bullet/minie.

I hope this helps you out some what. 

Tom Stelma

[tom buckley]

Hi Tom.
Sorry for the confusion, I should have been more clear about which Harpers Ferry I meant.
The 232 and 233 are the numbers in Dean's Roundball to Rimfire 4 for the Harpers Ferry Slug on page 199. I believe that they are the M&M 11 (06-120 in your book).
I'm wondering if they were intended to be loaded with a patch like a picket bullet or loaded naked.
Too many numbers for an old man to remember. 
Thanks for the reply.
Tom Buckley

[acwbullets]

Tom,

I would say they were loaded with a patch. I have seen a lot of these bullets that have been fired with cloth wadding impressions on the sides like the Cosmopolitan bullets. They are dug in high numbers in 1861 1862 camps of Jackson's men. They are also dug in the 1863 camps on the retreat route from Gettybsurg. Bunker Hill was absolutely loaded with them in certain places.

I am still going through stuff but I haven't been able to find any of these bullets that have been excavated out of the arsenals by the archy teams at Harper's Ferry. I am still looking though and the excavation sites are continually moving all around the lower town.

[Jim T]

Dean says that documents suggest that they were to be loaded unpatched.   It's very interesting that ACWBullets has found so many that were patched....very cool. 

TB, the HF slug is actually MM#12.  The nipped sprue is a key feature.

The name "Harpers Ferry" was associated with the bullet because that is were the moulds for this bullet were made.  A single bullet may never have been cast there! 

Technically, it's a .54 cal. elongated ball for the Mississippi rifle. 

[tom buckley]

Hi Jim and Ian.

Thanks for the information on the Harpers Ferry Slugs. And the correction on the M&M #.
I never could keep numbers straight.

Tom Buckley

[acwbullets]

Jim,

Thanks for the information about the molds. I have been wondering if the overlapping 1861-1862 camps have these bullets due to the armory being captured during the Maryland 1862 Campaign. The bullets that have the cloth impressions are similar to the Cosmopolitans that you see which have been fired. Did the Cosmo's have a linen cartridge or were they patched as well.

Ian

[Jim T]

Cosmo's used a linen cartridge.