Presented here is a rare original… an unopened Federal .58 caliber Type 2 Williams Patent ‘cleaner’ longer sized bullet stilled wrapped in its original dark blue / gray paper. In mint condition, this .58 caliber lead projectile has a small lead washer / sabot inserted at the bullet’s base and was designed to help remove excess black powder and residue from the lands and grooves in a rifled musket. A normal package of ten arsenal issued cartridges would contain eleven percussion caps and one Williams’ patent cleaner bullet. Unlike the standard minie balls that were enclosed in buff or brown paper, these ‘cleaner’ bullets were always wrapped in dark blue paper. Soldiers were instructed to fire a William’s bullet on each 10th round. Since these bullets were designed without the hollow base like a standard minie ball, they were not as accurate and their cleaning effectiveness was dubious. Most dug cleaner bullets are found as drops and most likely discarded by veteran soldiers in the field. Cartridge comes in its own clear plastic cylindrical tube. A seldom-seen, mint, original condition specimen of a Type 2, paper-wrapped, Williams Patent “cleaner” bullet from the Civil War.

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