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Would like help to ID bullets

winmeek

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
54
Location
Houston Texas
Detecting a demolition site in downtown Houston and found 2 bullets.

Large smooth sided bullet with deep cavity in base, bottom of cavity is flat, striations on sides as if fired. Measures to from .58 to .593 caliber so seems larger than a miniball.

Smaller bullet, 2 rings, cavity in base, base of bullet is somewhat irregular, seems to be about .375 caliber. Striations as if fired.

Would like help to identify. Because they were fired, could that have expanded the caliber a little bit?
 

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The top one may be a shotgun slug. The other one may be a .38 caliber bullet. Modern .38 Specials are actually .357 caliber bullets, but I don't know if the oxidation changed the size any, or if it expanded after leaving the barrel.

-- Tom
 
Your smooth bullet is a civil war era Enfield. Both sides used them, but they seem to be more prevalent in Confederate camps. Your second bullet is likely a modern bullet. Clean out the groves and see if there are "crimp" marks in them. That would definitely make them post war.
 
"Leaning"? If you decide it is something else, please let us know. For thirty years I have called them enfields, but I would be interested in what they really are.:shock:
 
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