Original Items: Only One Set Available. During the U.S. Civil War, there were a multitude of different arms in service, as both sides rushed to fill the need for small arms. This was a logistical nightmare, as all of these different types of ammunition needed to be sourced, however this also ended up being a dream for collectors digging around old battlefields, as the possibilities for research were great.

What we have here is a collection put together by one such highly motivated collector, which contains 56 different types of ammunition, a mixture of cartridges and bullets, all nicely stored in a lovely display case. This measures approximately 21" x 17" x 1 1/2", and has a glazed glass top, which is hinged on one side to open, with a small latch on the other side. Each piece has its own compartment, and they are all labeled with what each contains.

Many of the bullets look to be in the Minié ball style, with a space in the bottom designed to expand and engage the rifling. Most look to be ground dug, with a layer of white oxide over the lead bullets, though some of the cartridges definitely were not, and may be post war examples to fill a hole in the collection. We unfortunately do not know where these were acquired, most likely having been collected over decades at any number of locations.

A really fantastic display set, ready for further research and display!

The Minié ball, or Minie ball, is a type of bullet that was used extensively during the American Civil War. The muzzle-loading rifle bullet was named after its codeveloper, Claude-Étienne Minié.

Although the Minié ball was conical in shape, it was commonly referred to as a “ball,” due to the round shape of the ammunition that had been used for centuries. Made of soft lead, it was slightly smaller than the intended gun bore, making it easy to load in combat. Designed with two to four grooves and a cone-shaped cavity, it was made to expand under the pressure to increase muzzle velocity. When fired, the expanding gas deformed the bullet and engaged the barrel’s rifling, providing spin for better accuracy and longer range.

Its design dramatically increased both range and accuracy, which has long been accepted as the reason for the high number of casualties in the Civil War. Some recent historians, however, question that because accuracy also depends on the soldier who pulls the trigger, and throughout the Civil War (when target practice was minimal), the combatants tended to aim too high.