Going back to the time of the Civil War, most people do not realize that more than a thousand different types of cartridges were used. This is an explanation that Civil War cartridge collecting has become a favorite diversion. Another explanation is that during the Civil War era we saw changes in the development of firearms and ammunition. The old round musket balls of the Revolutionary War were replaced by cartridges in the way we are used to.
While musket balls are found on Civil War battlefields, the most common class of cartridge used was the .58 caliber three-ring bottom shell. Numerous discovered cartridges are splattered out of shape. If you’ve been fascinated by the Civil War and firearms many times, collecting Civil War cartridges is a hobby that you will probably appreciate.
With the invention of the internet and buying and selling on Ebay, Civil War cartridges have become more collectible and prices have risen rapidly. Occasionally sellers are uninformed and ask for more than the cartridge is valued. For these reasons, if you are just starting to collect Civil War cartridges, you will most likely want to purchase a value manual. You can even discover a cost guide online if that works best for you.
Many Civil War cartridge collectors also accumulate cartridge molds and other relics from the Civil War era. A genuine fan can even study the possibility of becoming a Civil War reenactor, depicting battles with other collectors in cities and fields throughout the Southeast.
Civil War cartridges can be collected by purchasing them from other collectors, or you can start by going straight to battlefields to dig and search. A metal detector will make collecting Civil War cartridges much easier. You can also discover uniform buttons, cartridge molds, buckles and other metallic elements of the conflict. Some of the cartridges may be buried very deep. You will probably need to put on a pair of headphones and pay close attention to the sound changes on your metal detector. Chasing Civil War relics on guarded battlefields is not allowed, but there are still some ancient locations where battles were fought. Make sure you get the owner’s consent and fill in any holes you dig.
Some people have the concept that searching for cartridges with a metal detector indicates a lack of consideration for the soldiers who died there. They understand this notion because cartridge hunters occasionally find bones along with cartridges. However, the truth is that many of the cartridge hunters who have discovered cartridges in this way have recorded and mapped their finds, leading to many of the facts that we now understand about the Civil War.
The Civil War fascinates Americans for all that it represents. While most agree that slavery is a terrible stain on American history, there are some people who still deliberate on the issue of states’ rights in the face of a strong centralized government. Collecting Civil War cartridges is an interesting hobby, though sometimes quite sobering when you look at the large number of casualties. The memory of relatives fighting relatives in the cornfields and pastures will never go away. Collecting cartridges from the Civil War is one way to enshrine this astonishing recorded episode.