Gentlemen,
Hello ... this is my first post. We recently uncovered an unusual fired .54 caliber Gardner bullet a few hundred yards in front of the Stone Wall at Fredericksburg (private property, with permission, professional archaeology project). What makes it unusual is the specimen's heptagonal cross-section. It traveled down a bore that had seven lands and seven deep grooves. Having examined and cataloged countless fired bullets over the years, this rifling pattern is new to me.
I am thinking the Model 1817 Common Rifle or the M1841 may be likely candidates for the "smoking gun".
My question is: does anyone know which Confederate units might have carried the M1817 Common Rifle or M1841 in December, 1862 (1st Fredericksburg) or May, 1863 (2nd Fredericksburg)? Certainly a number of "obsolete" shoulder arms were in use at this time, but I would like more specific information that might exist as to documented field use of M1817s and M1841s in the Army of Northern Virginia during this time period. Period photo with unit provenance would be ideal.
This may be a shot in the dark (no pun intended!), but you guys eat, live and breathe this stuff. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want.
Thanks in advance.
YOS,
Jon Gerlach
Hello ... this is my first post. We recently uncovered an unusual fired .54 caliber Gardner bullet a few hundred yards in front of the Stone Wall at Fredericksburg (private property, with permission, professional archaeology project). What makes it unusual is the specimen's heptagonal cross-section. It traveled down a bore that had seven lands and seven deep grooves. Having examined and cataloged countless fired bullets over the years, this rifling pattern is new to me.
I am thinking the Model 1817 Common Rifle or the M1841 may be likely candidates for the "smoking gun".
My question is: does anyone know which Confederate units might have carried the M1817 Common Rifle or M1841 in December, 1862 (1st Fredericksburg) or May, 1863 (2nd Fredericksburg)? Certainly a number of "obsolete" shoulder arms were in use at this time, but I would like more specific information that might exist as to documented field use of M1817s and M1841s in the Army of Northern Virginia during this time period. Period photo with unit provenance would be ideal.
This may be a shot in the dark (no pun intended!), but you guys eat, live and breathe this stuff. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want.
Thanks in advance.
YOS,
Jon Gerlach
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