Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War |
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Civil War Artillery | |
by Harry Ridgeway |
Rifled artillery projectile, Schenkl design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, "common" (standard), short pattern with grooved tail, tail is not rounded, paper sleeve sabot, Schenkl rounded head percussion fuze early pattern, rifled 6 pounder smoothbore, 3.67 in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals, following the design of John P. Schenkl. The sabot system consisted of a "forcing cone" paper sleeve, which was intended to expand into the rifling, then flutter away on release. Problems with the paper absorbing moisture or swelling and blocking passage of the flame on firing rendered it impractical with time fuzes and so it saw limited application. This short pattern was intended for the rifled six pounder and has six grooved ribs to secure the sabot. The tail on this early verision was left unfinished, later versions the tail is rounded. Considered an experimental shell, only a few were issued for "trials" at Port Hudson.Usually this pattern is a "common" or standard round and will not be filled with balls, and with a percussion fuze it was designed to detonate after striking enemy cannon or equipment. Fuze employed was a Schenkl brass percussion fuze, early version with rounded flange, Jones pg. 98 lower right., top of the fuze hole is milled flat. Projectile measures: diameter 3.6in., length 8.5in. (excluding the fuze), weight 12lbs. Research Center: Artillery5332-Schenkl, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 306. Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery5332-Schenkl.html. |
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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. |