Found what I believe is a Minnie Ball

Snickers1 · Jun 19, 2012

I was hunting a tot lot at an elementary school and found what looked like a bullet. After washing the dirt off of it, it looks like a Minnie Ball.
I weighs 1.24 oz.

Can somebody say if it is a Minnie Ball or not?

The Wolf · Jun 19, 2012

Yep! You got yourself a Civil War minnie ball. This type is called a Williams Cleaner Type 2. They were issued to the soldiers, maybe one of these in every pack of bullets. The purpose of this type of bullet was to clean the inside of the barrel when it was shot. The insert on the bottom would expand and run along the inside of the barrel. You will find them in unused, "dropped" condition like this more often than used, "fired". They were believed to be less accurate than regular bullets, so the soldiers just tossed them out. There are a few different types of cleaner bullets. I've found type 1 and type 3, but never type 2. Nice find. Congrads. Is this your first Civil War find? -Wolf

Snickers1 · Jun 19, 2012

The Wolf said:
Yep! You got yourself a Civil War minnie ball. This type is called a Williams Cleaner Type 2. They were issued to the soldiers, maybe one of these in every pack of bullets. The purpose of this type of bullet was to clean the inside of the barrel when it was shot. The insert on the bottom would expand and run along the inside of the barrel. You will find them in unused, "dropped" condition like this more often than used, "fired". They were believed to be less accurate than regular bullets, so the soldiers just tossed them out. There are a few different types of cleaner bullets. I've found type 1 and type 3, but never type 2. Nice find. Congrads. Is this your first Civil War find? -Wolf

Thanks for the information. I found it in wood chips at a school. The school is not very old so I don't know how it might have got there...This is my first Civil War Relic.

allank · Jun 19, 2012

wood at sawmills that has lead or is no good gets turned into much, may have been a tree hit and it just got cut down.

rookie01 · Jun 19, 2012

Nice find, we have found a few of those within the past month in the Richmond area..

The Wolf · Jun 19, 2012

Snickers1 said:
Thanks for the information. I found it in wood chips at a school. The school is not very old so I don't know how it might have got there...This is my first Civil War Relic.

Awesome! Once you get the CW bug, you have to find a Confederate Belt Buckle to get rid of it. HAHA. I'm still looking for mine.....You are in Williamsburg. Theres got to be tons of bullets all around you. Any old home sites around there should produce finds from both sides of the war. Congrads again on your first CW find.

Snickers1 · Jun 19, 2012

The Wolf said:
Awesome! Once you get the CW bug, you have to find a Confederate Belt Buckle to get rid of it. HAHA. I'm still looking for mine.....You are in Williamsburg. Theres got to be tons of bullets all around you. Any old home sites around there should produce finds from both sides of the war. Congrads again on your first CW find.

Thanks...

Snickers1 · Jun 19, 2012

I was not expecting to find a Minnie Ball at an elementary school tot lot. This find beats all of the coins that I have found there. I was just looking for coins!!!...Now I need to find something to display it in.

BtnsnBkls · Jun 19, 2012

William's Cleaner Bullet

Great find. Very good CW find and in good condition too!!! HH

Found what I believe is a Minnie Ball

Snickers1

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The Wolf

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allank

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BtnsnBkls

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