Has anyone that has seen John Morrow's book "The Confederate Whitworth Sharpshooters" got any opinion on the double-ended bullet mould shown on page 22. It casts a cylindrical projectile, round nosed at either end - looks something like a suppository!
 
I am still having great difficulty considering this was ever entended as a bullet.
 
David

Hi dbm & Bill Curtis, I was just wondering if you meant this one I stole this picture (naughty me!) from a civil war relics dealer website its details are listed by them as, rare double ended whitworth bullet measures .441 diameter by 1.370 inches in length, hope that this has helped, Regards, Peter B.
 

The dimensions suggest that it MIGHT have been intended as a bullet and it has to be remembered that the Whitworth Artillery solid shot in the Civil War used a boat-tail streamline shape which might have set the odd local bullet maker to thinking.  Otherwise there is just no concrete evidence to enable anyone to reach a firm conclusion.   Couple this with one found and reported in Morrow's book and any competent modern mould maker and you could have more turning up.  Couple of faked letters about "my new Whitworth bullet" and away you go - not that I am suggesting anyone could EVER do such a thing.

Whitworth shooters were obliged to be very careful and deliberate in their loading, these were not 'heat of battle' rifles with tales of multiple ooadings in one barrel etc.
The rounded base could have a deleterious effect on the upsetting of the bullet and also allow gas blow by.  However, if you are willing to make such bullets and try them, it will be interesting to see what results you can achieve provided they are measured against conventional paper patched cylindrical flat based (with a small cavity) bullets of .442 diameter and 530 grains.