Minie Ball Alloy

[hobbler]

In the interest of duplicating the ammunition distributed to the forces of both nations armies, what documentation is available for tests performed verifying the alloying content of various battle field recovered hollow based projectiles? Anyone?

[J Weber 4114V]

Pure lead was the called for metal. As all of the arsenals swaged their minnes castabillity was not a issue. The first reference of alloy being used that I have seen is post C/W era with the 50-70 and 45-70

[R. McAuley 3014V]

1861 Ordnance Manual provides the following specification:

“Lead is a bluish-white metal, bright, but tarnishes quickly in the air. Specific gravity, when pure, 11.48; melts at 600°, and volatilizes at a red heat. The purity of lead is judged of by its specific gravity. To determine this, after having weighed the pig, suspend it with a wire in a vessel of water, so that it shall be completely immersed, without touching the sides, and weigh it again. The weight in the air, divided by the difference between the weight in air and water, will give the specific gravity,— which ought to be 11.35 for lead of commerce.”

Bullet moulds were provided to cast balls, when pressed balls could not be obtained. Both "pressed" (i.e. swagged) balls and buckshot were made by mechanical compression which would change the density of the metal, not to mention that this process also created heat by friction which in turn may have imparted certain qualities of higher temper or hardness to the metal not otherwise obtainable through casting.

[hobbler]

So, really, no one has looked into it? We probably know more about tracing the sources of Pheonician bronze.
To state the obvious, both swaged and cast hollow based bullets are commonly dug up. Some with and without lube grooves, various diameters, blunt and fairly pointy.
I suspect they added some tin to facilitate better cast quality when they could (time is money, hey there's a war on, etc). And, also, that later on they melted down anything that would fill the pot.