Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

A few from this morning...

brnn53

brnn53

Member
The temperature was tolerable this a.m. so I hit a favorite CW camp site and found these. I have found several dozen dropped bullets here and almost as many cleaners as 3 ringers! Why would there be so many cleaner bullets here? They are as scattered as the other relics. I don't usually keep shot shell brass but this one intrigued me US Climax 12 ga. I also found a Indian Head fattie that is soaking. I can't read the date but hopefully it will clean up. Thanks for looking.
Mike
 
I have never found a cleaner bullet. I have read that the soldiers were not real keen on the cleaner bullets so that may be why they tossed 'em. Great finds...d2
 
Nice finds, Mike. D2 may have the answer as to the number of cleaner finds. Is this a late war site?

In lower SC, we'd find where troops of the 15th and 17th Corps would dump what appeared to be the entire contents of their cartridge box. It'd simply be a big pile of Type III cleaners. Walk over 15-20 and there'd be another pile, each ranging in number from five to 30 cleaners. Only in the past couple of years did I dig my first (what I thought was becoming the "mythical") Type I and II.

In fact, the second minie I ever dug was a cleaner.

I guess it goes by region. Here, we have a ratio of perhaps 50/50 on cleaners and three ringers in late war Union sites. On our coast, where the Unionists were present nearly the entire war, we find absolutely no Type IIIs.

Again, nice finds! Post up a pic of the fatty, if you get a chance. Always like digging those! Congrats on the finds.

Richard
 
Fella's, this question has been asked for probably 40 years; Why did Union troops throw so many "cleaner" bullets away? It's real simple. They would seize up in the barrel when being loaded. Especially if there was any fouling. Once a black powder rifle has been fired, the residue from the powder (charcoal, sulphur and salt peter) leaves a micro film inside the gun. This restricts the bore size, thus creating "fouling." Fouling the bore will cause friction upon any projectile that enters the barrel. Now, we have a 3 part bullet: nose, zinc washer and base (William's "cleaner" bullets) being rammed down the barrel. William's patent never says anything about "Cleaning" per se, he said his bullet would scrape the lands and grooves tightly, thus creating better accuracy. In fact, they would seize up in the barrel and prevent loading. The men hated them.
In summary; once the William's bullet was started down the barrel, resistance from fouling would cause the base to collapse into the nose section. This in turn would smash or flatten the zinc washer into the lands and grooves of the rifling, thus halting movement or seizing up in the barrel. Not a good thing in the heat of battle. Hope this clears up the mystery. Good hunting, David@Dixie
 
Ahhhh, confirmation from someone that knows. Yahoooooooo. I was right, they didnt like 'em...d2
 
i believe your're right, david and d2. i've found maybe 20 of the williams cleaners, all type 3's, but only two were fired. the type 1 and 2's are scarce around here too. good info, and a good post, brnn53. nice j hook there too. hh,
 
Thanks Richard! I have always found a few cleaners but never in this proportion to 3 ringers. This camp may have been from some of the 15th Corps boys near the end of the war though I found a plugged base Enfield, 58 cal. round ball, and block I button there as well.
Mike
 
Thanks for the explanation David! I always wondered if they were actually used as recommended. I have found a few fired ones as well plus the bases and the actual bullet but no zinc washer. I haven't found anything but the type 3 around here. Anyway, they are kinda cool to dig up! HH!
Mike
 
Thanks GG! I'll be glad when the crops are in and the heat is gone as these came from a very promising site. HH!
Mike
 
Thanks d2. I find them all the time but not in this quantity. I've been trying to figure out if this is a Yankee camp or not as I have found relics from both sides here. I know each side used these bullets as well as Enfields which I found here also. HH!
Mike
 
Its a flying eagle cent! I thought that the coin would be a fattie since it felt thicker than an Indian head but lo and behold, its my first flying eagle. 1857. I soaked it in olive oil for 5 days and it revealed itself. Wish I knew how to clean it more but I'm afraid to damage it. Thanks for looking. HH!
Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top