58 Caliber Minies?

[Rear Guard]

I am having trouble finding anyone who is selling 58 caliber minie balls here in Southern California or elsewhere for that matter. I'm told the distributor in Arizona is out of business. Dixie Gun Works has not been able to come through for me either. Anyone know of a source?

Jeff Lawson

[Pvt_Jack_Bauer]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

I know regimental quartermaster in gettysburg carries them. I have bought from them for the past few years and they have shot perfect. I dont know what the rules are for shipping ammunition but give them a call and see. As for Cali, I have no clue...I am guessing .58 cal minis isnt the choice ammo out there, haha

[Michael Shea]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

Mr. Lawson,

You might try trackofthewolf.com. The had them last time I checked. I will check my self - I am out and have had to go back to using musket balls.

Boys I can say in all truth that if you shoot a deer with a 58 caliber musket ball you get to spend the rest of the day tracking. If you use a Minie ball - well - you can have venison for lunch.

Cordially,
Michael Shea

[HighPrvt]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

I know a guy that pours bullets for DGW, and others. He was severely injured in a wreck last year, so that maybe the reason they don't have any. He's recovered now, I'll ask about minies next time I see him.

[1st Maine Trooper]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

I am having trouble finding anyone who is selling 58 caliber minie balls here in Southern California or elsewhere for that matter. I'm told the distributor in Arizona is out of business. Dixie Gun Works has not been able to come through for me either. Anyone know of a source?

Jeff Lawson

How many ya looking for?
Dave Myrick

[JimKindred]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

These are not considered ammunition under Federal or state regulations. Only fixed ammunition is regulated.

I know regimental quartermaster in gettysburg carries them. I have bought from them for the past few years and they have shot perfect. I dont know what the rules are for shipping ammunition but give them a call and see. As for Cali, I have no clue...I am guessing .58 cal minis isnt the choice ammo out there, haha

[Rear Guard]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

Thanks for all the leads on lead......I'll try again tomorrow with these suggestions. Am looking for about 100 rounds.
Jeff Lawson

[HighPrvt]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

Lee has a bullet mold. Ever consider pouring your own?

[Johan Steele]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

I make my own... in .5745 IIRC I have in the neighborhood of 1000 in my garage. We hand them out to classes at school presentations.

Shoot me a PM if you run out of luck.

[Pvt_Jack_Bauer]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

These are not considered ammunition under Federal or state regulations. Only fixed ammunition is regulated.

Thanks Jim. Wasnt quite sure. I knew Fall Creek couldnt ship caps or something like that. I didnt know if bullets fell into that category.

[TobiasJones]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

Try Log Cabin Sport shop online (out of Ohio): http://www.logcabinonline.com/. They have everything you need for buying made or making. If buying the packaged preformed minies make sure you check what exact size you want (i.e. .575213 or
.577611).

Evan O'Dell

[rogue]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

There has been a source in Wisconsin for some time, Pat Kaboskey, who does a lot of casting for the N-SSA. He can be Googled, or I believe his e-mail is cwbulletman@aol.com.
Steve Sullivan

[Shantyman]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

This is of corse not a historically accurate sorce,
but Cabellas carries them in their catalog.


Steven Flibotte
Liberty Hall Fifes and Drums
CSm Co.C/Marine Guard USS Galena

[Dreamer42]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

Jeff,
Along the lines of a few previous participants...I would encourage you to consider molding your own. While buying bullets is, of course, the easier way to go, I feel you miss out on the whole "historical" process. Learning the history behind the molding of lead bullets and safety and skills it takes to create consistant rounds, that is - molding bullets and making your own cartridges and arsenal packs - gives one a sense of pride and knowledge not found in just buying bullets ready-made. Again, I realize each person's situation is different. I use a Lyman .575 mold. Just be sure to do your research into proper methods when melting lead.
I could sale several dozen, if you still need some. Message me if interested.

- Jay Reid
9th Texas/165th SNY

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 58 Caliber Minies?

Hallo!

It does in a way. although the "tradition" of soldiers melting down their belt plates to get lead to then cast in bullets is a bit over-rated... ;) :)

In brief and to over-generalize...

With the exception of some nose cast Confederate "Minies," the common method of making "Minies" was a swaging press that squeezed them to shape from lead wire.
And, they were then sent to laboratories or arsenals where they were made into paper cartridges (often by women and children).

IMHO, the biggest problem with "store bought" bagged "Minies" is that there is often a lack of quality as time is money and packaging the requisite number in a bag is more important than the individual quality of each Minie.
It is not unusual to find Minies that have been cast from too cold a mould, or that the lead was not at the proper temperature when poured. While wrinkles effect accuracy, the greater danger is that the wrinkles are bad enough to be separated. When such a segmented Minie is fired, it is blown into segments- and the skirt or pieces of the bullet can be forced back into the breech end where it may become a projectile the next time a blank reenactment round is fired from the same gun.

IMHO, I recommend borrowing some quality Minies of different diameters as the Italian reproduction guns over the years vary in bore size from down around .575 all the way up to .582 or so. While close tolerance is more of an N-SSA competitive shooting, accuracy, thing- if one is trying to recreate a Civil War era military cartridge and attempts to use a .582 minie in a .577 bore- the "day at the range" may not go as well as intended.

Others' mileage may vary...

Curt
Shootist