1911 .30 Caliber Rifle Bullet Casing

3D Model

This rifle bullet casing was discovered in 2017 near Cowles House on MSU’s campus. The caliber of the bullet casing in .30 and was used by the U.S. Army for about 50 years, starting in 1906.

The headstamp reads “F A 7 11”. The F A stands for Frankford Arsenal, a small-arms munitions design and development plant in Pennsylvania that worked with the U.S. Army until its closure in 1977. The 7 indicates the month of manufacture while the 11 indicates the year, meaning that this bullet was made in July 1911.

MSU has had a military presence on campus almost since its inception, notably through the R.O.T.C. program. During WWI, enlisted students trained on campus and stored munitions in an artillery garage near Beaumont Tower. Since bullets have a shelf life of 10-15 years, it is conceivable that students may have used this bullet during a training excercise.

Click here to read a CAP blog on this bullet.

Photogrammetry Model made by Jack A. Biggs using Agisoft Metashape.