Civil War, Confederate Minié Ball

Buy a Union, Confederate, and fired Minie ball to get 15% off! Click here to get the full set.

 These .52 caliber ringtail Sharps Minié ball bullets were typically used by Confederate forces during the American Civil War. They were discovered using metal detectors on private land in various Confederate camps and battlefields in Virginia.

The Minié ball was a game changer for modern warfare. Previously, musket balls were inaccurate, low powered, and could take a full minute to load. Soldiers often just ended up using their bayonets instead.

However, the Minié ball changed that. Suddenly, rifles were more accurate, more deadly, and much more practical. The main advantage of this new style of musket ball was that it allowed for rifles to be fully utilized during combat, an impossible feat just a few years earlier. The Minié ball drastically shortened the time it took to reload, by both fitting easily down the barrel of a rifle and eliminating the need for constant cleaning. They also exited the barrel at bone shattering speeds and hit their mark with greater precision. For better or for worse, this new projectile had changed warfare forever.

A Certificate of Authenticity is issued with every order, and includes information about where the specific bullet was found when available.

President Lincoln visiting the battlefield at Antietam, 1862