Hexagonal Whitworth

[Miker91]

Any of you gentleman know why so few hexagonal whitworth bullets have been found at civil war locations compared to the number of cylindrical Whitworths ? Thanks.

 

[UCVRelics]

Any of you gentleman know why so few hexagonal whitworth bullets have been found at civil war locations compared to the number of cylindrical Whitworths ? Thanks.

The hex's were imported and the cylindrical made in the South.

 

[Miker91]

Thanks very much.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Whitworth rifles fired far more Southern made cylindrical bullets than British manufactured hexagonal ones during the Civil War.

There were very few whitworth rifles (thought maybe no more than sixty) imported from Britain by the Confederacy. Each imported rifle came with 1,000 factory-made solid (swaged) hexagonal shaped rounds, as well as a bullet mold to cast a cylindrical soft lead projectile that fitted the rifle bore. Cylindrical bullets for these rifles were made by the Confederacy in relatively much larger numbers (because the South lacked the industrial capacity to make hexagonal bullets for this weapon).

Solid factory-made hexagonal whitworth bullets used on the battlefield are extremely rare finds. Have never heard of anyone claiming ownership of, or recovering, a fired (not dropped) imported hexagonal whitworth bullet used in the Civil War.

 

[JOHN42768]

Whitworth rifles fired far more Southern made cylindrical bullets than British manufactured hexagonal ones during the Civil War.

There were very few whitworth rifles (thought maybe no more than sixty) imported from Britain by the Confederacy. Each imported rifle came with 1,000 factory-made solid (swaged) hexagonal shaped rounds, as well as a bullet mold to cast a cylindrical soft lead projectile that fitted the rifle bore. Cylindrical bullets for these rifles were made by the Confederacy in relatively much larger numbers (because the South lacked the industrial capacity to make hexagonal bullets for this weapon).

Solid factory-made hexagonal whitworth bullets used on the battlefield are extremely rare finds. Have never heard of anyone claiming ownership of, or recovering, a fired (not dropped) imported hexagonal whitworth bullet used in the Civil War.

See Conversation. https://civilwartalk.com/conversations/fired-whitworth-bullet-found-in-alabama.63602/ Richard / UCVRelics thought dropped, but Dave / Lanyard Puller thought fired. I'll let you decide.

 

[Manassas 1861]

There was also the 12 pound whitworth cannon. Which were extremely rare during the war.

 

[Pollaco]

I would guess maybe the range of the bullet may have something to do with it. Wouldn't the hexagons have landed farther away from where you find "normal" bullets? Just guessing.

 

[Bentonville]

I would guess maybe the range of the bullet may have something to do with it. Wouldn't the hexagons have landed farther away from where you find "normal" bullets? Just guessing.

I lf I don't miss my guess sharpshooters got those.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

I would guess maybe the range of the bullet may have something to do with it. Wouldn't the hexagons have landed farther away from where you find "normal" bullets? Just guessing.

Would think that a fired heavier factory-made hexagonal bullet would have travelled further than a lighter mold cast cylindrical round. Despite this, both projectiles displayed fairly similar accuracy (up to 1,400 yards) under British rifle testing conducted during the late 1850s.

Yet it's surprising to me that I've never seen reported by any traders or diggers a fired hexagonal Whitworth round used in the Civil War (Have viewed plenty of fired and dropped cylindricals, as well as quite a few dropped hexagonals, though).

 

[Lanyard Puller]

I've fired (from a bench rest) both the hexagonal bullet and a 'patched' Pritchett bullet in an original 2nd Quality scoped Whitworth out to 1000 yards. The bullets were cast from original molds.
Out to 200 yards there was little to no difference in the grouping. Beyond that the patched Pritchett grouped progressive better than the hex.

 

[Joe Whitworth]

According to Mr. Whitworth the hex bullet was prefered over the more commonly used cylindrical for ranges past 600 yards. I believe both types of bullets were imported with the rifles thru the blockade. The thousand rounds included with each rifle would have provided ample sniping ammo under ideal storage conditions. Ammo being knocked about during transport and gradually absorbing moisture would have rendered some of that original ammo useless requiring replacement. Included with each rifle was a mold to cast the cylindrical or hex bullet. Field casting thru necessity would explain some of the poorly cast Whitworth bullets recovered, bullets this poor would have never passed standards. English produced bullets were swaged, these superior bullets with their lube wads could easily be salvaged from damaged or damp cartridges and used with good powder from standard rifle cartridges. YMMV

 

[Old Soldier]

The hexagonal Whitworth was a marksmans rifle. It was accurate over 1,000 yards but took longer to load (but not with a mallet as some still say!). In other words, it was not a line weapon, but a specialist sniper rifle. It was also much more expensive. It saw good service as a marksman's rifle, many (but not all) equipped with a telecope sight. The targets would have been senior officers, well behind the line above the smoke of battle, as well as any distant enemy activity as a 'disruption' tactic. The longest effective shot is alleged to be over 2,000 yds - across the Mississippi.

Given this information, it would seem likely that the ammunition, used or unused, would have been rare on the ground. Since many will have hit their target, at these distances, it is likely to have stayed in the body and any misses would have been way beyond the normal fall of shot, even for field artillery.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Given this information, it would seem likely that the ammunition, used or unused, would have been rare on the ground.

Although CW use of whitworth bullets was relatively rare, suspect that a fair proportion of fired rounds missed targets, with some of these failing to make any impact. Thought there would certainly be some spent projectiles (that failed to impact) to recover on the ground. (I myself, have a large collection of many fired and some dropped cylindricals, as well as a few dropped solid hexagonals from the era, but no fired hexagonals - believe anyone who found a fired CW battlefield authenticated hex would possess a very valuable wartime relic, at least to a collector).

 

[Joe Whitworth]

Although CW use of whitworth bullets was relatively rare, suspect that a fair proportion of fired rounds missed targets, with some of these failing to make any impact. Thought there would certainly be some spent projectiles (that failed to impact) to recover on the ground. (I myself, have a large collection of many fired and some dropped cylindricals, as well as a few dropped solid hexagonals from the era, but no fired hexagonals - believe anyone who found a fired CW battlefield authenticated hex would possess a very valuable wartime relic, at least to a collector).

Whoever relic hunts on my CW property after I'm dead and gone will hit the jackpot since I've fired hundreds of six sided Whitworth bullets on my range and in the woods. That's in addition to the many Minies and pistol balls too. I've only seen one recovered Whitworth found by a friend, it was a dropped hex bullet found near Williamsport.

 

[yellowhousejake]

Late to this thread but... A cylindrical Whitworth bullet is always a dropped or lost bullet. I have fired both cylindrical and hexagonal bullets in my Whitworths and the cylindrical bullets are hexagonal by the time they travel the first few inches up the barrel. At the target butts, they all look the same,

Which brings me to a question. Earlier it was stated that the imported bullets were hexagonal. How do we know this? Eley and others were producing cylindrical ammunition for match shooting far more than hexagonal, the cylindrical has been offered as the preferred bullet for the match shooters of the time I believe by David Minshall of Research Press. The cylindrical cartridges could also be used in the Kerr and Turner rifles, as well as the Whitworth.

I am curious because I have been looking for records of what 451 ammunition was imported so that I can duplicate it. Woolitch two part paper cartridges, cardboard Eley cartridges, or something else. Can anyone point me to records or a source I can search for the answer?

Thank you,

DAve