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, Parrott design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, short pattern with rivet, high band brass sabot with 10 rabbets, Parrott improved one part percussion fuze, Parrott 100 pounder rifle, 6.4in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following development of Parrott's patent. The sabot, referred to as "type II", utilized a thin wide brass band which was softer and more flexible than wrought iron, secured to the base with 10 rabbets. However performance was poor, the thin soft brass sabot either failed to take the rifling or had a tendency to separate on firing, resulting in shards of brass flying into the backs of the forward infantry. However for large caliber guns, fired from ships or forts, flying sabots was less of a problem and this pattern of sabot became the primary convention for siege guns. Bottom is plugged with a rivet protruding from the bottom. The shell was cast with an open hole in the base, through which a rod was placed to hold the core during casting. After casting the rod was removed, the rod was removed and replaced with a drive in plug, this while the casting was still hot. On cooling the hole would shrink thus securing the bottom plug. This "short" pattern may have been designed to be able utilize case shot, but it appears that most were configured with percussion fuzes and full powder charge. Fuze employed was Parrott zinc one part percussion fuze, "improved" design, edge of the fuze hole is milled flat, Jones pg. 81. Projectile measures: diameter 6.25in., length 15.5in. (excluding fuze), weight 85lbs. approx. with sabot. Research Center: Artillery4725-Parrott, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 297.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4725-Parrott.html. |
A2299...Rifled artillery projectile, Parrott design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, short pattern with rivet, high band brass sabot with 10 rabbets, Parrott improved one part percussion fuze, Parrott 100 pounder rifle, 6.4in.
 Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following development of Parrott's patent. The sabot, referred to as "type II", utilized a thin wide brass band which was softer and more flexible than wrought iron, secured to the base with 10 rabbets. However performance was poor, the thin soft brass sabot either failed to take the rifling or had a tendency to separate on firing, resulting in shards of brass flying into the backs of the forward infantry. However for large caliber guns, fired from ships or forts, flying sabots was less of a problem and this pattern of sabot became the primary convention for siege guns. Bottom is plugged with a rivet protruding from the bottom. The shell was cast with an open hole in the base, through which a rod was placed to hold the core during casting. After casting the rod was removed, the rod was removed and replaced with a drive in plug, this while the casting was still hot. On cooling the hole would shrink thus securing the bottom plug. This "short" pattern may have been designed to be able utilize case shot, but it appears that most were configured with percussion fuzes and full powder charge. Fuze employed was Parrott zinc one part percussion fuze, "improved" design, edge of the fuze hole is milled flat, Jones pg. 81. Projectile measures: diameter 6.25in., length 15.5in. (excluding fuze), weight 80lbs. approx. without sabot. High band brass sabot was separated on firing. Parrott one part improved fuze is partial. Metal solid. Projectile is disarmed drill hole through the side. Recovered: not known. Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 297. |
A2448...Rifled artillery projectile, Parrott design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, short pattern with rivet, high band brass sabot with 10 rabbets, Parrott improved one part percussion fuze, Parrott 100 pounder rifle, 6.4in.
     Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following development of Parrott's patent. The sabot, referred to as "type II", utilized a thin wide brass band which was softer and more flexible than wrought iron, secured to the base with 10 rabbets. However performance was poor, the thin soft brass sabot either failed to take the rifling or had a tendency to separate on firing, resulting in shards of brass flying into the backs of the forward infantry. However for large caliber guns, fired from ships or forts, flying sabots was less of a problem and this pattern of sabot became the primary convention for siege guns. Bottom is plugged with a rivet protruding from the bottom. The shell was cast with an open hole in the base, through which a rod was placed to hold the core during casting. After casting the rod was removed, the rod was removed and replaced with a drive in plug, this while the casting was still hot. On cooling the hole would shrink thus securing the bottom plug. This "short" pattern may have been designed to be able utilize case shot, but it appears that most were configured with percussion fuzes and full powder charge. Fuze employed was Parrott zinc one part percussion fuze, "improved" design, edge of the fuze hole is milled flat, Jones pg. 81. Projectile measures: diameter 6.25in., length 15.5in. (excluding rivet and fuze), weight 85lbs. High band brass sabot was separated on firing. Parrott percussion fuze is missing. Metal stable, projectile was recovered from wet ground and has been conserved. Projectile is disarmed, drill hole through the side. Recovered: North Carolina defenses by Bennett Langley.
Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 297. |
A2458...Rifled artillery projectile, Parrott design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, short pattern with rivet, high band brass sabot with 10 rabbets, Parrott improved one part percussion fuze, Parrott 100 pounder rifle, 6.4in.
      Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following development of Parrott's patent. The sabot, referred to as "type II", utilized a thin wide brass band which was softer and more flexible than wrought iron, secured to the base with 10 rabbets. However performance was poor, the thin soft brass sabot either failed to take the rifling or had a tendency to separate on firing, resulting in shards of brass flying into the backs of the forward infantry. However for large caliber guns, fired from ships or forts, flying sabots was less of a problem and this pattern of sabot became the primary convention for siege guns. Bottom is plugged with a rivet protruding from the bottom. The shell was cast with an open hole in the base, through which a rod was placed to hold the core during casting. After casting the rod was removed, the rod was removed and replaced with a drive in plug, this while the casting was still hot. On cooling the hole would shrink thus securing the bottom plug. This "short" pattern may have been designed to be able utilize case shot, but it appears that most were configured with percussion fuzes and full powder charge. Fuze employed was Parrott zinc one part percussion fuze, "improved" design, edge of the fuze hole is milled flat, Jones pg. 81. Projectile measures: diameter 6.25in., length 16in. (excluding rivet and fuze), weight 87lbs. High band brass sabot was separated on firing. Parrott improved one part percussion fuze is intact with minor loss. Metal solid. Projectile is disarmed drill hole through the side. Recovered: Battery Dantzler, Drewerys Bluff, Virginia. Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 297. |
| 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. |