.65 Gatling lead bullet

[Spaceinvader]

Hello everyone,

Bought this for a few dollars on a whim and is far outside my normal interest. Can anyone possibly ID what this could be from? Its made of solid Lead and was dug up in the UK by a metal detector on a beach, hence the crusted on corrosion.

-Width: 16.7mm
-Length: 46.7mm
-Weight: 90g
-Rifling grooves: 7 (as best I can tell)
-.50BMG AP projectile for scale in the last photo

It’s got a half-dome shape pressed into the bottom and has a groove approximately 12mm from the bottom of the projectile. It’s slightly lopsided on the bottom as well so doesn’t sit straight upright.

Thank you and best regards,
Rhys

[Fede]

Hi Rhys,

Amazing, looks like you found a .65 Gatling bullet!

Congratulations!

Regards,

Fede

[Spaceinvader]

Wow thank you for the quick response Fede!

A quick google search brings up this cartridge, is that correct?

Are these cartridges particularly rare, or any chance of possibly finding a case?

It looks like I have some research to do, thank you very much!

[bdgreen]

Tony Edwards:

https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-45-inch-gatling-and-gardner

[PetedeCoux]

I’ve not seem a drawn brass version of this but most likely one in southern AZ.
Of the coiled I know of perhaps 5 or 6 here in the US & some of which are coal-dust dummies.

[Spaceinvader]

Seems like quite the uncommon case then! What do you mean by “coal dust dummy” as well?

[PetedeCoux]

The British would use coal dust to load into dummy cases, that would give them (I suppose) the approximate weight of a loaded case but be inert. Made in a number of cases, Snider, 577/450 Martini Henry, .402 MG & .45 MG, I’ve not seen a .303" labeled as such but think those exist too.

[Spaceinvader]

Very interesting! That’s a new type of cartridge I had not heard of!

[Spaceinvader]

If anyone is interested, it turns out the seller has a second (atleast) recovered bullet. If anyone here is interested I can send the link to it.

[PetedeCoux]

another from our last sale.