Recommended books for collectors & historians
THE REFERENCE SHELF
The essential books on Civil War bullets and cartridges.
Start with the handbook, then use the deeper works for serious identification and research.
THE DEFINITIVE SERIES
Round Ball to Rimfire
A deeply researched, four-volume history of Civil War small-arms ammunition, moving from Federal smoothbores and rifle muskets through breechloaders, handguns, and Confederate ordnance.
Federal Ordnance Department, Arsenals, Smoothbores & Rifle Muskets
Federal musket ammunition, Northern arsenals, patents, designers, and manufacturers.
Federal Breechloading Carbines and Rifles
Federal carbine and rifle ammunition and the systems developed to fire it.
Federal Pistols, Revolvers & Miscellaneous Essays
Pistol and revolver ammunition, related patents, makers, and concluding Federal essays.
A Contribution to the History of the Confederate Ordnance Bureau
Confederate production and administration with more than 650 documented specimens and illustrations.
Best place to start
A Handbook of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges
The practical field guide: full-size photographs, measurements, manufacturer information, and a useful collector checklist.
Classic identification system
Civil War Projectiles II
The classic numbered typology covering bullets, cartridges, field artillery projectiles, fuses, grenades, rockets, and related material.