Canister shot

[alan polk]

Two of them look like nice Confederate shells!! Good job!

 

[Duane Pringle]

I know I have a Confederate shell maybe one of my six pounders may be or both of them don't know about the solid shot 12 pounder in center.

 

[Duane Pringle]

The shell on the right not for sure about.

 

[John Winn]

Here is canister shot cleaned and put some petroleum jelly on them to help preserve them. Is the bigger ball in picture grape shot its from this battle to it weighs about a pound has a seam and is about 2 inchs in diameter?View attachment 96614

It's possible the larger ball is grape although its use in the field was very rare and limited to Confederate forces and generally to early in the war. Here's a table with the sizes and weights of grape and canister which may allow you to determine what you've got :

http://www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

Grape was really a naval round by the time of the CW, canister being the standard for field artillery. Grape had nine balls stacked in three layers of three separated by plates that held it all together. Canister was placed in a tin can of bore diameter and held in place by sawdust. So, if you do have a piece of grape that's a rare find I'd say. Beware though that you may have something that's not shot at all but something like a milling ball.

 

[alan polk]

I know I have a Confederate shell maybe one of my six pounders may be or both of them don't know about the solid shot 12 pounder in center.

It would be hard to conclusively determine whether the solid shots are CS or US. The two 12-pounders, however, look to have varying fuse adapters that I don't think are found in Unionist-made shells. One looks like it might be the copper ball fuse adapter, but I'm not sure.

 

[Duane Pringle]

Here it is next to a 6 pounder and one of the canistor shot I did not dig this one was purchased from a gentleman that had found several of these in this erea. It definitely has a spure and slight mold seam.

 

[Duane Pringle]

 

[Duane Pringle]

 

[Duane Pringle]

Another picture

 

[Duane Pringle]

It's right at 2 inchs about 1.99 2.02 inchs and weighs 1.6 lbs on my digital scale that seams to weigh a little lighter than what the item actually does. It seems to be pretty close to shot chart. It's definitely iron and not steel.

 

[Duane Pringle]

I know shell ,canister and solid shot was used in battle of Carthage missouri there is a civil war museum here off of the square that have a couple of these in one of there displays with 6 pounders that were definitely used in this battle by the confederacy. Alot of canister was used by the Union in this battle.

 

[Duane Pringle]

Here is a picture of grape shot like the one I have found in the battle of Carthage mo.

 

[peteanddelmar]

View attachment 98970 Here is a picture of grape shot like the one I have found in the battle of Carthage mo.

I've a friend that found a 6 pounder within a mile of the Kendrick House. So the Confederates were still firing on the federals as the Union retreated right into town!