Samuel Gardiner received patent #40,468 on November 23, 1863 for his exploding bullet or “musket shell.”

These are .58 caliber 3-groove bullets for rifle muskets but with several distinctive characteristics. These are usually found to have a dark patina because they were cast of pewter which was harder than lead and would fragment. On perfect specimens, “S. Gardiner Jr. Shell Patent Secured” can be found in very small raised letters around the base. A fuse nozzle protrudes from the cavity; this nozzle leads to a powder-filled copper vessel in the center of the bullet.

The specimens offered here remain in good condition with some light corrosion to the pewter with little or no lettering remaining on the skirt.

Recovered from Federal winter camps in Falmouth, VA.  [jet] [ph:jet]

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