- Joined
- Jul 19, 2016
- Location
- Spotsylvania Virginia
American ingenuity was on full display during the civil war with major innovations in warfare. The unprecedented death toll was, by a large measure, brought on by improved ammunition – both small arms and artillery. One of the more intriguing small arms bullets was invented and patented on August 12, 1862 by Reuben and Ira Shaler.
In theory, the three-piece bullet would separate after it left the muzzle and make one marksman equal to three. There were three different nose shapes and three different base shapes manufactured as Shaler bullets. The middle sections were relatively uniform in shape and size on all three shapes of the bullet.
This is a tall pointy-nose style shaler that I recovered from the 2nd. Rhode Island Infantry Regiment winter camp near Fredericksburg about 20 years ago. In total about 500 such dropped (thrown away) bullets were excavated from this one camp site, possibly indicating their unpopularity. I have read accounts of solders throwing away Williams Cleaner bullets and Buck-n-ball ammunition because they were inaccurate. Perhaps the unpopularity of the Shaler’s my friends and I recovered were in that category. Six such bullets remain in my collection.
This next photo is a three piece Shaler between a .58 caliber two ring and standard three ring.
In theory, the three-piece bullet would separate after it left the muzzle and make one marksman equal to three. There were three different nose shapes and three different base shapes manufactured as Shaler bullets. The middle sections were relatively uniform in shape and size on all three shapes of the bullet.
This is a tall pointy-nose style shaler that I recovered from the 2nd. Rhode Island Infantry Regiment winter camp near Fredericksburg about 20 years ago. In total about 500 such dropped (thrown away) bullets were excavated from this one camp site, possibly indicating their unpopularity. I have read accounts of solders throwing away Williams Cleaner bullets and Buck-n-ball ammunition because they were inaccurate. Perhaps the unpopularity of the Shaler’s my friends and I recovered were in that category. Six such bullets remain in my collection.
This next photo is a three piece Shaler between a .58 caliber two ring and standard three ring.