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approximate date of large bore rim fire

Robin
Gentlemen
I have collected old bottles and artifacts for most of my life. In digging through some stuff I saved from my digging days in Tallahassee Florida, I came across some interesting firearm related things including rim fire cartidges and large (maybe 50 caliber size)lead bullets. There was also a partial can of corroded percussion caps and a squarish piece of flint that may have been used in a flint lock firearm. The bullets seem to fit the brass cartridges that are approximately 2 3/4" long. Does anyone know the approximate time frame large bore rim fire cartridges were used? Based on the other artifacts I would guess the cartidges were dumped prior to the civil war. Unfortunately most of the brass cartridges, except for the bases, are smashed flat.

Edit: Thanks, I have picked up a few mini-balls over the years but I believe these bullets are related to the brass cartridges. One of the brass cartridges is not too bent and it appears that the bullet is a good fit. BTW, this stuff was found at the bottom of an old filled in privy. And, some privys saw service for a good number of years
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4 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    I think that we need to see a photo. Modern "bullets" descend from the Minie ball, a conical cylinder, developed in 1848, & widely used during the Civil War. That might be what you have.

    If you have a micrometer & can measure the diameter, that may also help us.

    Neal
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  • Bert H.
    What immendiately comes to my mind is the Spencer series of .50 caliber rimfire rifles and carbines developed and first used in 1860. The early Spencer rifles and carbines were made for the 56-56 rimfire cartridge (.56 caliber), with later variants being chambered for the 56-52, 56-50, and 56-46 (.52, .50, and .46 caliber respectively) rimfire cartridges.
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  • Tailgunner1954
    The bigger rimfires date from the end of the civil war (breach loading conversions of existing military arms), and than the early "inside primed" cases can look a lot like a rimfire to those not familiar with them.
    Other possibilities could include the 50 Army and 50 Navy, perhaps something in the 50 Govt class (these were normaly IP, but IIRC the first fersions were RF) etc.
    In my collection I have a 18mm Rimfire (Swiss military round), and I know there was a 1" rimfire for the Gattling gun.

    Photo's and (as good as you can get) measurments would be helpfull in making a ID
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  • machine gun moran
    A 2 3/4-inch case is too long to be a Spencer case, but the bullets may or may not be.

    There's an interesting history to the early days of cartridges. There became a myriad of different cartridges, and supply was often erratic. Consequently there was a lot of home-engineered ammunition, made from whatever was available, into whatever was possible. From old cases found in the drier areas of the American West, it has been determined that people would often use whatever would fit, whether modified or not. Cases of known original calibers are seen to have been fire-formed in chambers of the known dimensions of yet different calibers. The hairiest may have been the discovery of a .50-70 at the Little Big Horn Battle site, which was chambered and fired in a .45-70. Now that took a pair of big fists. Much of this tended to give long legs to the muzzle loaders, and some Apaches preferred muzzle-loaders right to the end because any ammunition at all was a resource for powder and convertible lead.
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