Muzzleldrs Ammo Mississippi Rifle .. sizing a minie for it

An economical vernier caliper capable of making accurate measurements to 0.001 of an inch [0.0254 mm] wasn't invented until 1851 when it was introduced by Joseph R. Brown [Brown and Sharpe] of Providence, RI. It was not until 1867 that Brown perfected the micrometer caliper. These are two of the most basic modern machinist’s measuring tools. So, you are correct that simply measuring things prior to and during the Civil War was a problem. But, you can't have weapons in which your bore is smaller than the bullets in your ammunition. The ordnance establishments in armies around the world issued their inspectors "go/no go" gauges to ensure that bores were neither smaller than their established ordnance standard nor larger. Anything that didn't meet standard was supposed to be rejected and condemned. Similarly, gauges for bullets and finished cartridges [where the bullet was loaded in the greased paper wrapper] were issued to the ammunition laboratories.

Re Burnside caliber, caliber designations are sometimes terms of art: the .38 Special, .357 magnum, 9mm, and .380 calibers all essentially measure .357 inches. What matters is true bore diameter and sizing the bullets to that.

Regards,
Don Dixon
380 and 9mm are actually .355, but I know what you mean.
 
That Model 1841 is one of the most beautiful US martial arms ever made with a lot of history going for it. And you have one that appears to be in exceptional condition as well as being produced in Harpers Ferry. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Bill
The new July-August issue of True West Magazine has a two-page article on the 1841 Mississippi Rifle by Phil Spangenberger. Very interesting.
 
The new July-August issue of True West Magazine has a two-page article on the 1841 Mississippi Rifle by Phil Spangenberger. Very interesting.
Thanks bayouace,

I'll look for it. I remember reading a review of the Mississippi rifle back in the '80s by of all people, Phil Spangenberger. It was an Antonio Zoli replica that he was firing with a patched round ball and he did quite well with it. Glad to hear that he is still publishing.

Bill
 
Thanks bayouace,

I'll look for it. I remember reading a review of the Mississippi rifle back in the '80s by of all people, Phil Spangenberger. It was an Antonio Zoli replica that he was firing with a patched round ball and he did quite well with it. Glad to hear that he is still publishing.

Bill
He usually has at least one article a month on firearms in True West.
 
I've got a Missy that was rebored to .58. Despite having lots of deep rifling, the bore measures .594. I don't have a mold big enough to make .592, so I am waiting on some vellum paper to try and make Pritchett cartridges (.012 of paper + a .580 bullet will bring it to .592).

Re your gun - You will need to make your bullets 1 or 2 one-thousandths less than the bore diameter to be able to ram the bullet without great difficulty, while maintaining a tight enough tolerance for accuracy. Make sure you use the softest/purest lead or you won't get the necessary expansion....trust me this is important! I thought I had pure lead but couldn't get my Enfield to shoot accurately. I went to a scrap dealer and bought up some "lead flashing" that is used for roofing. I had the scrap dealer zap that lead with an XRF gun and the lead tested as being 98% pure. Suddenly my Enfield shoots consistently, which means the Minie skirt is expanding and engaging the rifling. Don't use wheel weights (I never have) because there's a lot of bismuth and antimony in it, which makes it relatively hard.

Nice looking gun, by the way! The Missy's are the most beautiful military arm of the era, for sure.
 
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