ACW question.

[Techno]

HI Guys.

Mr Thicky here again !
While I've been pushing the putty around, I've been listening to some of the Bernard Cornwell books regarding the ACW, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.
One word that crops up from time to time 'sounds like' menier (?) minier (?)....Some sort of bullet apparently.
As I don't know the correct spelling, I can't find it on the web.
First off...What's the correct spelling ?
And if you've got time.....What is it ?

Thanks - Phil. (I love my local traveling library !)

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

It was a type of rifle i believe... will check later when i get properly  on line, not when I'm on the mobile...

[robert]

MINIE

[Bernie]

Minie with an acute over the e was the round fired.

It was developed by Captain Minie of the French army and had a thin conical base so as the round was blasted down the rifle barrel would expand and provide less windage to the musket balls of the Napoleonic period. With the rifling available on the percussion cap rifled muskets of 1840-60's the round would be twisted making the round more accurate and with a greater range. In the Crimean War 1854-56 this accounted for Russian being outclassed as they were kitted with Napoleonic era muskets with a range of 100m while taking losses as 300m and in hands of the French Chasseurs out to 500m. In the ACW it was probably more the reduced missfires than a flintlock rather than range that Cornwall was commenting on his books as musket fights tended to be at under the 200m mark

[Techno]

Thanks all !

I've just heard phrases along the lines of, "the sound of minie bullets flying overhead", used a handful of times in the three books I've been listening too.
Aha !...With the acute accent... That explains why the word sounds the way it does in the narrative.

Cheers - Phil.

[ronan]

here's a picture from wikipedia of this "balle minié"  ( minié ball )


I've got a real one, from Gettysburg, but I'm not at home right now.

[Hertsblue]

Invented by Captain Claude-Etienne Minié in 1847 - probably the most successful system for loading a muzzle-loading rifle ever devised. The British government paid Minié £20,000 (several millions in today's currency) for the production rights in 1850.

[Techno]

Ahhhh ..

So, have i got this right ?
It's basically a (to me) bullet shaped musket ball which, from what has been said, was a lot more accurate and more efficient as far as distance was concerned...But loaded in the same way as a musket ball ?
I just love learning about this sort of stuff...And I'm obviously in the right place to learn !

Thanks again guys ! (And now I know the spelling I can look at that Wiki page.)

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Phill the minne ball and rifle combination was designed to allow a muzzle loading rifle to be rifleled and loaded at the same speed as a smooth bore. Detonattion opened the rear of the bullet, and forced it into the lands, so that the bullet would spin. Introduced in the 1840's I think. Rapidly obsolete with introduction of the Needle gun.

IanS

[cameronian]

A conical bullet with a concave base. When fired the base expanded to the diameter of the barrel thus reducing the escape of gasses round the bullet (windage) so more of the bang was utilized in propelling said bullet up the tube. Since the barrel was rifled the expanded base would pick this up acquiring spin and thus greater accuracy and distance. The Austrians used the same principle for the Lorenz, the British for the Enfield. The advantage over - say the Baker, was that the round could be loaded easily since it only contacted the rifling after firing.

[Techno]

Great stuff Guys !

I'm really getting my poor old brain round this now....
I'm sure I'll be back with yet more questions soon.

Really appreciate the answers.

Many thanks - Phil...(Mixing putty with one hand while I type with the other (as usual)  )

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Your keyboard must be 'interesting' Phil...

[Techno]

Yes Lemmey....
A lot of the keys have tiny bits of green stuff stuck to them....
That's when I try and type with both hands....BIG Mistake !
Cheers - Phil.

[Nav]

HI Guys.

Mr Thicky here again !
While I've been pushing the putty around, I've been listening to some of the Bernard Cornwell books regarding the ACW, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.
One word that crops up from time to time 'sounds like' menier (?) minier (?)....Some sort of bullet apparently.
As I don't know the correct spelling, I can't find it on the web.
First off...What's the correct spelling ?
And if you've got time.....What is it ?

Thanks - Phil. (I love my local traveling library !)

It was a rifles bullet that was the main stream ordanance for springfield and enfield rifled muskets during the war

[Dave Fielder]

I always think of Homer Simpson when I hear about Springfield. 

I wonder if ....