A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
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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 |
| More Read design, PAGE 3. Research Center: Artillery5000-Read,     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5003-Read-PAGE3.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, long pattern with smooth sides , pointed nose, wrought iron sabot, wood time fuze, Confederate 30 pounder rifle, 4.2in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured following the prewar invention of Robert Parrott andJohn Read working together. The sabot system utilized was a wrought iron ring, the Confederateversion developed by Read is generally thinner than the Federal pattern. Both sides produced a smooth sided long shell, this Confederate version is distinguished by a lathe dimple in the base, a casting sprue on the nose, and the smooth sides were finished by turning on a lathe , nose on this pattern is relatively tapered. The wrought iron sabot was cast much thinner on this 30 pound pattern than the smaller calibers and therifling is not precast into this sabot. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, Jones Fuzes pg. 2, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place. Projectile measures: diameter 4.1in., length 12.5in., weight 26lbs. Research Center: Artillery5141-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ord. pg. 329.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5141-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, long pattern with smooth sides, blunt nose, wrought iron sabot, wood time fuze, Confederate 30 pounder rifle, 4.2in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured following the prewar invention of Robert Parrott and John Read working together. The sabot system utilized was a wrought iron ring, the Confederate version developed by Read is generally thinner than the Federal pattern. Both sides produced a smooth sided long shell, this Confederate version is distinguished by a lathe dimple in the base, a casting sprue on the nose, and the smooth sides were finished by turning on a lathe , nose on this pattern is bluntly rounded. The wrought iron sabot was cast much thinner on this 30 pound pattern than the smaller calibers and the rifling is not precast into this sabot. Fuze employed was a wood timefuze, Jones Fuzes pg. 2, fuze hole is smooth and tapered,the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place. Projectile measures: diameter 4.13in., length 9.75in. (excluding fuze), weight 23.5lbs. Research Center: Artillery5142-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ord. pg. 328.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5142-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, solid bolt, long pattern with bourrelet rings, and pointed nose, thick copper ring sabot, Confederate rifled 12 pounder, 4.62in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured during the war employing John Read's design, and was one of the last to be used. This pattern utilized two bourrelet rings, as a labor saving device, only the rings had to be accurately machined, the rest could be left rough. The nose is very pointed, in theory the pointed nose might penetrate the protective ironclad of the Federal ships. Read developed this copper ring sabot, it was more flexible than the earlier wrought iron sabot, sabot is tapered at the top and seated in a deep groove well inside of the iron base. This long projectile was apparently developed for the new Gibbons & Andrews 4.62in rifle, which is the same caliber as a rifled 12 pounder, but the extra length would presumably have been intended for a rifled cannon, and not a rifled and banded smooth bore. The projectile apparently did not perform very well, all recovered examples either are missing the base or have significant base chips. Projectile measures: diameter in., length 12in.(excluding fuze), weight 25lbs, approximately there are parts missing. Research Center: Artillery5151-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 332.     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5151-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, short pattern with bourrelet rings, tall copper ring sabot, copper time fuze, Confederate rifled 12 pounder, 4.62in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured late in the war employing John Read's design. This pattern utilized two bourrelet rings, as a labor saving device, only the rings had to be accurately machined, the rest could be left rough. The base is raised and milled to a bevel leaving a depressed ring between the base and the sabot, lathe dimple is found on the base. Read developed this copper ring sabot, it was more flexible than the earlier wrought iron sabot, sabot is tapered at the top and seated in a deep groove well inside of the iron base. Copper ring sabot was cast thick and milled. This short projectile could have been intended for the rifled and banded 12 pounder, or could have been meant for the new Gibbon & Andrews 4.62in. rifle, however, it was never issued in time for combat. Fuze employed was a Confederate copper time fuze, two spanner holes, Jones pg. 41. Projectile measures: diameter 4.5in., length 9.25in. (excluding fuze), weight 22lbs. Research Center: Artillery5152-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 335.     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5152-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, long pattern with bourrelet rings, copper ring sabot, copper time fuze, Confederate rifled 12 pounder, 4.62in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured late in the war employing John Read's design. This pattern utilized two bourrelet rings, as a labor saving device, only the rings had to be accurately machined, the rest could be left rough. The base is raised and milled to a bevel leaving a depressed ring between the base and the sabot, lathe dimple is found on the base. Read developed this copper ring sabot, it was more flexible than the earlier wrought iron sabot, sabot is tapered at the top and seated in a deep groove well inside of the iron base. Copper ring sabot was cast thick and milled. This long projectile was apparently developed for the new Gibbons & Andrews 4.62in rifle, which is the same caliber as a rifled 12 pounder, but the extra length would presumably have been intended for a rifled cannon, and not a rifled and banded smooth bore. Fuze employed was a Confederate copper time fuze, two spanner holes, Jones pg. 41. Projectile measures: diameter 4.53in., length 12in. (excluding fuze), weight 28.0lbs. Research Center: Artillery5153-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 336.      Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5153-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, prewar manufacture, bursting shell, experimental pattern with flanges, sabot system with air vents and flanges, blind fuze plug, rifled 24 pounder gun, 5.8in. Apparently this was an experimental shell developed by Dr Read in collaboration with James. The shell is cast with six thin flanges, air holes are positioned on the bottom beneath the flanges, the idea was that the firing would expand the flanges into rifling. The shell was equipped with a blind fuze plug and has an empty cavity, the sabot system was being tested and as it failed, development of this pattern was abandoned before a fusing and bursting system were attempted. Projectile has 6 precast flanges and bottom vent holes. Projectile measures: diameter 5.7in., length9.5in., weight 34lbs. Research Center: Artillery5161-Read, Reference: Bell Heavy Ordnance, page 340.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5161-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, short pattern with smooth sides wrought iron sabot, experimental blind shell not fuzed, rifled 32 pounder gun, 6.4in. Projectile was an experimental pattern developed before the war employing John Read's design. This pattern has smooth sides, The sabot system utilized was a wrought iron ring. This was apparently used as an experimental round, it was never drilled for a fuze, and interior cavity contains mostly foundry casting sand. Projectile measures: diameter 6.36in., length 9.5in. (excluding fuze), weight 47lbs. Research Center: Artillery5171-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 346.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5171-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, solid bolt, short pattern with pointed nose and single wide bourrelet ring, wrought iron sabot, rifled 32 pounder rifle, 6.4in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured following the prewar invention of John Read , the sabot system utilized was a wrought iron ring. This Confederate design, employed a relatively light version of the wrought iron sabot was likely manufactured at Selma. The base israised and milled to a bevel leaving a depressed ring between the base and thesabot, there is no lathe dimple although this could have been milled out of theflat bottom. This short tapered design, referred to as the "tear drop " design by collectors, was used with other Selma arsenal products and saw limited success, it was intended to be used in the old 32 pounders that had been converted to rifle. Projectile measures: diameter 6.4in., length 9in., weight 47lbs. Research Center: Artillery5172-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 343.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5172-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, pattern with bourrelet rings, wrought iron sabot, percussion fuze, rifled 32 pounder gun, 6.4in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured following the invention of John Read , the sabot system utilized was a wrought iron ring. These 32 pound short projectiles were intended to beused in the old 32 pounders that had been converted to rifle . This pattern utilized two bourrelet rings, as a labor savingdevice, only the rings had to be accurately machined, the rest could be leftrough. The nose is relatively pointed, and the width of the bourrelet rings varies considerably, presumably this is operator variance in the finishing process. The wrought iron sabot was cast much thinner on these large caliber patterns, the rifling is not precast into this sabot, and the relatively weak sabot is often sheared. The base is raised and milled to a bevel leaving a depressed ring between the base and the sabot.. Fuze employed was Archer percussion fuze, Jones pg. 55. Projectile measures: diameter 6.36in., length 9.5in., weight 43lbs. Research Center: Artillery5173-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 348.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5173-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, pattern with bourrelet rings, copper ring sabot, wood time fuze, rifled 32 pounder gun, 6.4in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured following the invention of John Read , the sabot system utilized was a wrought iron ring. These 32 pound short projectiles were intended to be used in the old 32 pounders that had been converted to rifle . This pattern utilized two bourrelet rings, as a labor saving device, only the rings had to be accurately machined, the rest could be left rough. The nose is relatively pointed, and the width of the bourrelet rings varies considerably, presumably this is operator variance in the finishing process. The copper sabot was cast thick. The base is raised andmilled to a bevel leaving a depressed ring between the base and the sabot.. Fuze employed was a wood time fuze, Jones Fuzes pg. 2, fuze hole is smooth and tapered, the simple to make fuze could easily be hammered into place. Projectile measures: diameter 6.36in., length 10in. (excluding fuze), weight 43lbs. Research Center: Artillery5174-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 349.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5174-Read.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, Read design, Confederate manufacture, bursting shell, long pattern with bourrelet rings, iron sabot, re-saboted by adding Mullane copper disc sabot with 3 studs in the sabot and flush mounted bolt, Confederate Navy watercap time fuze, Brooke rifle, 6.4 in. Projectile was Confederate manufactured during the war probably employing John Read's design. This pattern utilized two bourrelet rings, as a labor saving device, only the rings had to be accurately machined, the rest could be left rough. The nose is relatively pointed, and the width of the bourrelet rings varies considerably, presumably this is operator variance in the finishing process. This shell started out as a long pattern Read, with iron sabot, Bell pg. 347. However the sabot performance was unsatisfactory, and a Mullane or Tennessee copper disc sabot was installed on this shell by affixing to the bottom scabbed over the iron sabot. Presumably there are studs cast onto the sabot, (type II) and inserted into the shell body, the studs are not visible from the exterior, so it is assumed that there are studs. The sabot is secured with a center bolt, typical of other sabots of this type. Fuze is Confederate Navy watercap, Jones pg. 19. Projectile measures: diameter 6.36in., length 12.5in. (excluding fuze), weight 64lbs. Research Center: Artillery5175-Read, Ref: Bell Heavy Ordnance, pg. 421.     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5175-Read.html. |
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