Can anyone identify this fragment?

[andrewv128]

Is anyone able to tell me what type of shell this fragment is off of? It has a raised band going across it. Forgive me. I know little about ordinance.

 

[alan polk]

Hard to tell. Could be a Read fragment. Maybe @UCVRelics or @Tom Hughes can help.

 

[andrewv128]

Hard to tell. Could be a Read fragment. Maybe @UCVRelics or @Tom Hughes can help.

Thank you. I looked it up and it certainly looks like it could be from a Reed.

 

[Tom Hughes]

My guess is Read fragment as well.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Calling @redbob do you know? He's a big expert.

 

[redbob]

I believe that if you go with one of Dr. Read's designs that you are certainly on the right track. Yours appears to be a bottom bourette

 

[UCVRelics]

I would not rule out the 3 inch Blakley shell.

 

[redbob]

I would not rule out the 3 inch Blakley shell.

True,but I would be curious as to where the fragment was found.

 

[andrewv128]

True,but I would be curious as to where the fragment was found.

All I know is somewhere around Fredericksburg or Spotsylvania.

 

[andrewv128]

I believe that if you go with one of Dr. Read's designs that you are certainly on the right track. Yours appears to be a bottom bourette View attachment 512912

Yeah, it certainly looks like it is off that. Thank you for the photo.

 

[redbob]

Yeah, it certainly looks like it is off that. Thank you for the photo.

My pleasure and I'm glad that it helped.

 

[MasonDixon]

Actually, what is the surface arc? (the curve) then measure the width of the fragment then you can easily compute the size of the original projectile based on the size of the fragment.

 

[MasonDixon]

Actually, what is the surface arc? (the curve) then measure the width of the fragment then you can easily compute the size of the original projectile based on the size of the fragment.

Also where you found it is key as it might not be CW as there are a lot of former firing ranges on the east coast and Virginia where the Army and Navy test fired artillery from the 1870's through the 1950's to figure out charges vs shell weights. Some of those places still have warning signs today such as Dolly Sods, WV and other places.