A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
by Harry Ridgeway
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Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War |
| Civil War Artillery | |
by Harry Ridgeway |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Hotchkiss design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, pattern without flame grooves, pointed nose "common" (standard) , lead band sabot, wood time fuze, Parrott 30 pounder rifle, 4.2 in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Andrew Hotchkiss. The pattern consisted of three parts, a nose section containing the explosive charge, a cast iron cup fitted on the bottom, and lead band sabot cast around the middle, on firing the cup would compress the lead band sabot expanding it into the rifling. Some of these shells were configured as case shot , filled with balls, or as "common", with out balls. This shell is a "common" shell, (standard), it does not contain balls, and with a time fuze it was designed to be used against either troops in the open field or enemy cannon. The nose section is pointed, containing an open cavity for the explosive charge only, without a separator bolt. Nose section contains a plugged hole centered on the bottom, presumably this hole was used to secure the core on casting, then a plug was installed to seal the bottom. Shell does not have flame grooves, these were added on later models. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Hotchkiss patent date was cast, not stamped, into the base, "HOTCHKISS PATENT OCTOBER 9, 1855", and is typically weak, and may have been omitted altogether as molds wore down or were replaced. Projectile measures: diameter 4.13in., length 10in. (excluding fuze), weight 26lbs. Research Center: Artillery4371-Hotchkiss, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 242.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4371-Hotchkiss.html. |
A0149...Rifled artillery projectile, Hotchkiss design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, pattern without flame grooves, pointed nose "common" (standard) , lead band sabot, wood time fuze, Parrott 30 pounder rifle, 4.2 in. Projectile measures: diameter 4.13in., length 10in. (excluding fuze), weight 26lbs., not verified. Lead band sabot shows weak rifling and is intact. Wood fuze is missing. Projectile is disarmed, open fuze hole exposes empty interior. Recovered: Vicksburg, Mississippi Mississippi. |
A0303...  Projectile measures: diameter 4.13in., length 10in. (excluding fuze), weight 26lbs. Lead band sabot shows weak rifling and is partially rolled up but fully present. Wood fuze is missing. Projectile is disarmed, open fuze hole exposes empty interior. Recovered: Vicksburg, Mississippi Mississippi. |
A0730...Rifled artillery projectile, Hotchkiss design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, pattern without flame grooves, pointed nose "common" (standard) , lead band sabot, wood time fuze, Parrott 30 pounder rifle, 4.2 in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Andrew Hotchkiss. The pattern consisted of three parts, a nose section containing the explosive charge, a cast iron cup fitted on the bottom, and lead band sabot cast around the middle, on firing the cup would compress the lead band sabot expanding it into the rifling. Some of these shells were configured as case shot , filled with balls, or as "common", with out balls. This shell is a "common" shell, (standard), it does not contain balls, and with a time fuze it was designed to be used against either troops in the open field or enemy cannon. The nose section is pointed, containing an open cavity for the explosive charge only, without a separator bolt. Nose section contains a plugged hole centered on the bottom, presumably this hole was used to secure the core on casting, then a plug was installed to seal the bottom. Shell does not have flame grooves, these were added on later models. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place, Jones Fuzes pg. 2. Hotchkiss patent date was cast, not stamped, into the base, "HOTCHKISS PATENT OCTOBER 9, 1855", and is typically weak, and may have been omitted altogether as molds wore down or were replaced. Projectile measures: diameter 4.13in., length 10in. (excluding fuze), weight 26lbs., not verified. Lead band sabot shows weak rifling and is intact. Wood fuze is missing. Projectile is disarmed, open fuze hole exposes empty interior. Recovered: Vicksburg, Mississippi Mississippi.Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 242. |
A1642...   Projectile measures: diameter 4.13in., length and weight not determined. Nose section only sabot and base cup separated on firing. Wood fuze missing, bottom plug is visible. Projectile is disarmed, open fuze hole exposes empty interior. Recovered: Vicksburg Mississippi. |
| 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. |