Minie Ball

By Crusader1307

This innovative piece of Firearms technology was invented by French Army Officer Claude Minie in 1846. He devised the “Ball” to create a reliable ammunition to be used in concert with The Rifled Barrel. The barrel (which featured raised spiraling inside the rifle barrel), added with Minie’s Bullet – greatly increased a Shooter’s range and abilities. The Rifled Barrel and Minie Ball forever changed the field of battle and how Wars were fought. Made of lead and conical shaped, The Minie Ball featured an indention a quarter of the way from the bottom. A series of grooves were placed at the rear, which (upon expansion), merged with the barrel spiraling. This created a faster and straighter velocity to the Bullet. First “pioneered” during The Crimean War in the 1850s, The Minie Ball proved to increased range by up to 50 percent, depending on the firearm class. The Ball (as it was called), was able to maintain it’s velocity for up to 500-yards. This could create horrific wounds, most often of which were either fatal or required painful amputation. The Minie Ball would remain the standard ammunition for most Nation’s Military until the advent of Cased or Jacketed Brass ammunition, which would be seen by the 1870s-1880s.