What rifle did this bullet come from?

**StanCT** · 08-06-2017, 14:11

I discovered this bullet in the Free State veld with my metal detector, and it appears to have been lying there for a very, very long time.

Who has any ideas as to what caliber this could be, and fired by what?

It is 100% lead, measures just under 15mm in diameter and has a circular detail at the tip.

IMG_6412.jpg Attachment 26254

**Kayback** · 08-06-2017, 15:17

Circular detail from muzzle loading ram-rod?

Looks like a Minie ball bullet with smooth sides. What weight is it?

15mm sounds like a .58 rifled musket of some sort.

**Zuku** · 08-06-2017, 15:19

Could be a Martini-Henry Rifle 0,577/0,450 buts looks more than a Snyder 577 with that short and fat looks

**StanCT** · 08-06-2017, 18:20

Snider-Martini-Enfield_Cartridges.jpg

In which case, there we have the Snider .577 (14.7mm) at left, most closely resembling my sample.

Thanks chaps, that's probably it then.

@Kayback: not sure, have nothing to weigh with.

**CorditeCrazy** · 08-06-2017, 20:42

577 Snider or 58 Enfield would be my guess

**A-R** · 08-06-2017, 21:11

Originally Posted by CorditeCrazy

577 Snider or 58 Enfield would be my guess

The .58 Enfield was a muzzle loader. Did they use round ball or conicals? My guess would be ball to speed up the loading, but someone could have loaded a conical for hunting.

The .577 Snider (actually a .58 Enfield converted to breech loading) used such a conical bullet, so that would be my first suspect.

**CorditeCrazy** · 08-06-2017, 21:26

It's a good question, I know the Minie was made for it but I don't know if the British used ball or minie's when here and armed with 58 Enfield rifles.

I had a 2 Band, 58 Enfield replica and loading conicals was as easy as round balls.

**Sean Murphy** · 08-06-2017, 22:02

The 58 Enfield was designed for a Minie bullet. Does the found bullet have a hollow or flat base?

**StanCT** · 09-06-2017, 06:54

@ Sean: the base of the bullet is not 100% flat, although it appears flat at a glance.

FWIW: I am told that there was a skirmish on this farm with British forces, advancing on Bloemfontein from Kimberley, during the Anglo-Boer War. This may also explain the proximity of 2 graves of British soldiers (the remains, since exhumed and repatriated), as well as occasional finds of brass buttons, buckles, cartridge cases and what-not, in the vicinity.

I'm not sure whether this caliber was used during the Anglo-Boer war, and by whom, but by the highly weathered appearance of my sample, I suspect that it may have been lying there for much longer.

**Sean Murphy** · 09-06-2017, 10:09

Originally Posted by StanCT

@ Sean: the base of the bullet is not 100% flat, although it appears flat at a glance.

FWIW: I am told that there was a skirmish on this farm with British forces, advancing on Bloemfontein from Kimberley, during the Anglo-Boer War. This may also explain the proximity of 2 graves of British soldiers (the remains, since exhumed and repatriated), as well as occasional finds of brass buttons, buckles, cartridge cases and what-not, in the vicinity.

I'm not sure whether this caliber was used during the Anglo-Boer war, and by whom, but by the highly weathered appearance of my sample, I suspect that it may have been lying there for much longer.

The 577 Sniders and Enfields were not issued to frontline troops during the Boer War but they were issued to reserve troops and black levies who acted as labourers and logistic troops. They were not involved in any major actions where they were required to use the rifles but I would not be surprised if they lost some of their ammo all over the countryside.