A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
| Ridgeway Civil War Research Center,
A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War |
| Civil War Artillery | |
| by Harry Ridgeway |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Brooke design, Confederate manufacture, solid bolt, forged iron smooth sides blunt nose, mill base sabot, Confederate Brooke rifle, 7in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured following John Brooke 's design. This pattern was an early design, shell was manufactured from rolled or forged steel, later patterns were cast, the rolling seams are clearly visible leaving rough sections. This would produce a harder steel than cast iron, and might have been more effective against the ironclads, however it was probably too labor extensive and expensive to produce, so few were produced. The entire shell is one integral mass, the sabot was milled out of the base. Brooke's later designs employed independent copper sabot systems. Sides were smooth, top has only a slight convex curve, this nearly flat top was designed to deliver maximum impact against the Federal ironclads. Some of these shells are marked "6.94" on the side, which is the diameter, and "S" on the bottom. Projectile measures: diameter 6.9 4in., length 12.5in., weight 120lbs. Research Center: Artillery3561-Brooke, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 177.     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery3561-Brooke.html. |
| A1646...Rifled artillery projectile, Brooke design, Confederate manufacture, solid bolt, forged iron smooth sides blunt nose, mill base sabot, Confederate Brooke rifle, 7in.
Projectile was Confederate manufactured following John Brooke 's design. This pattern was an early design, shell was manufactured from rolled or forged steel, later patterns were cast, the rolling seams are clearly visible leaving rough sections. This would produce a harder steel than cast iron, and might have been more effective against the ironclads, however it was probably too labor extensive and expensive to produce, so few were produced. The entire shell is one integral mass, the sabot was milled out of the base. Brooke's later designs employed independent copper sabot systems. Sides were smooth, top has only a slight convex curve, this nearly flat top was designed to deliver maximum impact against the Federal ironclads. Some of these shells are marked "6.94" on the side, which is the diameter, and "S" on the bottom. Projectile measures: diameter 6.9 4in., length 12.5in., weight 120lbs. Artillery 3561 Brooke solid bolt mill base sabot 7in., Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 177.     
Projectile measures: diameter 6.94in., length 12.5in., weight 120lbs. Heavy milled sabot is unfired and intact. Metal solid, the forging or rolling seams are very visible on both sides and the top, these are crude manufacture flaws and not ground damage. Marks are very visible on this example. Projectile is disarmed, solid iron casting never had a cavity or bursting charge. Recovered: James River, Virginia area, near the 1865 battle involving the CSS "Richmond" which after running aground, apparently discharged a number of these heavy shells to lighten up its load to escape the grounding. |
A2681...Rifled artillery projectile, Brooke design, Confederate manufacture, solid bolt, forged iron smooth sides blunt nose, mill base sabot, Confederate Brooke rifle, 7in.
    Projectile was Confederate manufactured following John Brooke's design. This pattern was an early design, shell was manufactured from rolled or forged steel, later patterns were cast, the rolling seams are clearly visible leaving rough sections. This would produce a harder steel than cast iron, and might have been more effective against the ironclads, however it was probably too labor extensive and expensive to produce, so few were produced. The entire shell is one integral mass, the sabot was milled out of the base. Brooke's later designs employed independent copper sabot systems. Sides were smooth, top has only a slight convex curve, this nearly flat top was designed to deliver maximum impact against the Federal ironclads. Projectile measures: diameter 6.94in., length 12.5in., weight 120lbs. Heavy milled sabot is unfired and intact. Metal solid, the forging or rolling seams are very visible on both sides and the top, these are crude manufacture flaws and not ground damage. Projectile is disarmed, solid iron casting never had a cavity or bursting charge. Recovered: James River, Virginia area, near the 1865 battle involving the CSS "Richmond" which after running aground, apparently discharged a number of these heavy shells to lighten up its load to escape the grounding.
Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 177. |
| Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War. Artillery Research center, artillery, click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery0000-Index.html.     Research center, artillery, click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery0000-Index.html. |
| Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway, Civil War artillery, Relicman sales catalog. Click here: http://relicman.com/artillery/RelicmanSalesArtillery1.html.     Artillery for sale: http://relicman.com/artillery/RelicmanSalesArtillery1.html. |