Unusual Bullet

[LuckyB]

Looking for some help with this odd shaped lead bullet, and which weapon might have fired it. It has a cross section with two “lugs” which I’m guessing are designed to fit into or were produced by rifilling groves. It weighs 21.3 grams diameter at base 12.38mm (0.49”) or 12.38mm (0.52”) across the lugs, so perhaps a 0.5” calibre?? The conical shape would not have been very aerodynamic so probably not very successful or long lived.

Thanks for looking

[Flamsteed]

Brunswick rifle ball
P.D.: this lighter ball is presumably for sporting or fowling use.

[LuckyB]

Good suggestion, could be, the main calibre for the Brunswick seems to be 0.704", I guess there could have been a smaller calibre for sporting use?

[Flamsteed]

Good suggestion, could be, the main calibre for the Brunswick seems to be 0.704", I guess there could have been a smaller calibre for sporting use?

"The diameter and the mass may suggest this to be for a rifled sporting gun, fowling piece or 'rook and rabbit' gun."
https://finds.org.uk/database/search/re ... porting%22

[Dave The Slave]

Great ID Flamsteed with additional info.
The tip of the Rifle barrel, illustrates perfectly, why the lugs.
Cheers,
Dave.

[LuckyB]

Were they breach loaded?

Where did you get that photo of the pointy bullets? I can only find photos of the belted round balls.

Cheers

[Flamsteed]

Were they breach loaded?

Where did you get that photo of the pointy bullets? I can only find photos of the belted round balls.

Cheers

Muzzleloader

https://www.gunboards.com/threads/bulle ... e.1183101/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/civilwarta ... 2/%3famp=1

[LuckyB]

Thank you for those links, they are very interesting, there is a very similar bullet in one of those (although a slightly larger calibre) that points to a Russian variation of the Brunswick!

20201007_095516_resized (2).jpg

[Flamsteed]

Thank you for those links, they are very interesting, there is a very similar bullet in one of those (although a slightly larger calibre) that points to a Russian variation of the Brunswick!
20201007_095516_resized (2).jpg

"(.....) used a distinctive belted round ball. In 1849 col. Kulikovsky designed a conical bullet for this gun, which had better ballistics and accuracy."
Russian Model 1843 "Luttich Carbine" - The Russian Brunswick Rifle:

[fred]

"(.....) used a distinctive belted round ball. In 1849 col. Kulikovsky designed a conical bullet for this gun, which had better ballistics and accuracy."
Russian Model 1843 "Luttich Carbine" - The Russian Brunswick Rifle:

Superb ID that.

[LuckyB]

We still don't have an exact match for the calibre though

[Flamsteed]

We still don't have an exact match for the calibre though

It is from a civilian weapon, manufactured in small quantities for sportsmen.
"The mold casts a single .525” diameter, two-winged conical bullet. While at first blush it looks like a mold for the two-groove Brunswick Rifle, the nominally 30-Bore (.525”) diameter (....) that this mold appears to really be for a Purdey Express Rifle."
"The winged “express” bullet was available in bore sizes from as small as 140 bore (about .31 caliber) to as large as 12 bore (about .73 caliber)."

[LuckyB]

I'll accept that! bang on if you pardon the pun! thank you for your help with this one

[MilitaryMetalMagnut]

That’s pretty damn cool, nice find. Nice ID Flamsteed!

Best regards,

Simon