Musketoon Question

[misipirelichtr]

If you had a handful of musketoon bullets, how would you know if you had a Port Hudson Musketoon, a Jenkins Ferry Musketoon, an Arkansas Musketoon, or some other musketoon?  Is the primary difference the cavity type?  Or something else?  Looking at the photos on the recent Trans-Mississippi thread (great job ETEX), it seems the Port Hudson Musketoon has a bit more "rounded nose" appearance, but having not had the opportunity to hold all three in my hand at the same time, I have to admit that identification of the different variants is very confusing for me.  Thanks!

[ETEX]

Mississippi

Tom Stelma described the differences in his book as:

Arkansas - has a pointed nose, the grooves are of a normal type, and the base possesses a deep ellipsoidal cavity with an irregular, eccentric rim.

Port Hudson - possesses a fuller upper body with a more founded nose, normal grooves, and a deep ellipsoidal cavity with a concentric rim.

Jenkins Ferry - has a tall upper body with a pointed nose and normal grooves, but the cavity has a conical truncated flat-tip design, with a sprue mark below the nose showing it is side cast.

South Texas Musketoon (I don't recall ever seeing one) - is cast and has a fuller upper body with a flat nose and normal grooves, but with a thin wall Lovell type cavity.

Tom's description of the musketoons is probably as good as I have read.

Hope that helps.

[misipirelichtr]

It does help, particularly the note about the Jenkins Ferry being side cast and having a distinct cavity type.  I have both of Tom's books; have worn the second one about out, but obviously did not pay enough attention to his musketoon differences.  I just received a really nice Port Hudson musketoon from another Forum member - I did not have to look up which variant it was.  And as far as I know, I've not yet had the priviledge of seeing firsthand a Jenkins Ferry musketoon.  Thanks for pointing me back in the right direction.

[Big Lefty]

Meigs Brainard wrote an article on the musketoons several years ago in the North South Trader.  Can't remember the issue number, but the article was very informative.

[Pete George]

  Back in the mid-1970s, a dug a spilled group of about a half-dozen unfired Port Hudson Musketoon minies at that battlefield.  They looked just like TM-19A ...but the had what I was told at that time they had the Lovell cavity (M&M cavity #9), not a "deep elipsoidal cavity" as Stelma says.

Regards,
Pete

[ETEX]

Tom listed the differences between the Musketoons as having a deep ellipsoidal cavity for the Arkansas and Port Hudson but if you look at 09-001 and 09-003 in his book he has each of these listed as a deep Lovell cavity. I can't say why he would list them in the general description as one cavity and a different cavity in the photos.

The Arkansas and Port Hudson's in my collection have what appear to be deep Lovell cavitites.

When I start looking at and comparing ellipsoidal/lovell and paraboloidal/ogival cavitities in bullets there are more than a few occassions I can't tell the difference. I don't know if it's my eyesight or just how close each of the cavities can be in shape especially when adding the depth of the cavity i.e. Deep Lovell.

How many true cavities are there in bullets. Are the Lovell and Elliptical the same? Are the Parabolic and Ogival the same? I really don't know the answer to these questions. It's like looking at the dang Prussians in the M&M, they reference a 7 (Ellipsoidal), 10 (Ogival) and 11 (Paraboloidal) cavity associated with just the Prussians.

Lets hear from some leadheads on their thoughts on the cavity types associated with the Musketoons and the Prussians as well.