Big gun muzzle protective cover?

Mike Serpa

Major
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Is this a cover to keep the bore clean? Would it be used in place of a tampion? Or used with a tampion?
03119v.jpg

Morris Island, S.C. Two 100-pdr. Parrott guns and stacks of shells inside Fort Putnam. LOC #03119

03119u.jpg
 
Yes, it was designed (along with the vent cover) to keep sand, salt air, water and other things out of the bore. Something very similar is still used on artillery barrels. And I guess that it could be used with or without a tampion. And as a sidelight, unless these are shipping plugs; the shells were to be used with paper time fuses.
 
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Yes, it was designed (along with the vent cover) to keep sand, salt air, water and other things out of the bore. Something very similar is still used on artillery barrels. And I guess that it could be used with or without a tampion. And as a sidelight, unless these are shipping plugs; the shells were to be used with paper time fuses.
Thanks!
 
I had seen these before, and I figured they had to be a muzzle cover. I guess they were easier to take off than a tampion. Quicker to bring a cannon into action.
 
Is this a cover to keep the bore clean? Would it be used in place of a tampion? Or used with a tampion?
View attachment 156879
Morris Island, S.C. Two 100-pdr. Parrott guns and stacks of shells inside Fort Putnam. LOC #03119

View attachment 156880
Yes, it is intended to keep the bore clean. It is similar to the covers one sees on the 16 inch guns on WW2 battleships.
 
While busily patting myself on the back with one hand for knowing an answer, the other hand was flipping through this issue of The Artilleryman Magazine where the guns in question were identified as being 30# Parrott guns and not 100#ers. This was based on measurements of the guns in question, plus the fact that on the LOC plates it appears that the phrase 30 pdr is chalked on the right wheels of both guns. So, off to the doghouse I go...
 
Yes, it was designed (along with the vent cover) to keep sand, salt air, water and other things out of the bore. Something very similar is still used on artillery barrels. And I guess that it could be used with or without a tampion. And as a sidelight, unless these are shipping plugs; the shells were to be used with paper time fuses.
Here is a larger view of the vent cover.
Screen Shot 2017-09-07 at 5.48.30 PM.png
 
Very interesting picture, thanks for posting!

Those shells look to be the type that accept paper time fuses. I wonder what is keeping moisture out of them? I guess wads of hemp or tow?

And I wonder where the shell's cartridges are? Maybe in the bomb proof? Very cool!
 
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