Duane Pringle
Sergeant
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2016
- Location
- Joplin Missouri
That is just a display holder and it is a parrot shell for rifled cannons.Cool collection. I know so little about artillery, forgive me for a stupid question...
In the bottom photo, the piece second closest to us that has the replacement handles--are those "handles" just for supporting the artifact as it's on display? Told you I was ignorant. Regardless, I'm curious how that piece works, and especially the one two places down from it, as they look like giant minie balls. Was either one used in a rifled artillery piece?
Yes bormann fused cannon balls were used in Missouri both styles were.Not much on Missouri projectiles. But were any Bormann fused, spherical projectiles used much in your neck of the woods? It seems in your bottom picture, the spherical projectile to the right was manufactured to contain a Bormann fuse but is missing it. I guess all the ones in the top photo were initially for wood plug adapters or copper ball fuse adapters?
I am by no means a exspert but have always been interested in civil war artillery I am amazed on the different styles both sides used and some times you can not really tell witch side produced it especially sepherical solid shot. I have a 12lb solid shot with no seam that is in excellent condition. I found out that it's Confederate I thought for sure it was union.Cool collection. I know so little about artillery, forgive me for a stupid question...
In the bottom photo, the piece second closest to us that has the replacement handles--are those "handles" just for supporting the artifact as it's on display? Told you I was ignorant. Regardless, I'm curious how that piece works, and especially the one two places down from it, as they look like giant minie balls. Was either one used in a rifled artillery piece?
The other rifled artillery shell I have in display is a 3 inch Hotchkiss the only thing missing is the lead sabot that was around the center holding cup on.I am by no means a exspert but have always been interested in civil war artillery I am amazed on the different styles both sides used and some times you can not really tell witch side produced it especially sepherical solid shot. I have a 12lb solid shot with no seam that is in excellent condition. I found out that it's Confederate I thought for sure it was union.
Thanks Frank!Great collection and display!
Frank
Cool collection. I know so little about artillery, forgive me for a stupid question...
In the bottom photo, the piece second closest to us that has the replacement handles--are those "handles" just for supporting the artifact as it's on display? Told you I was ignorant. Regardless, I'm curious how that piece works, and especially the one two places down from it, as they look like giant minie balls. Was either one used in a rifled artillery piece?
Who doesn't...Awesome Collection I think I want a cannonball now.
I know you didn't ask me but I thought I'd provide a little background info anyway.
Any time you see a bullet-shaped projectile it was used in a rifled gun. The Parrott projectile had a cup-like ring of brass, cooper, lead, or wrought iron at the base that expanded when fired to catch the rifling (similar to Minie bullets). I believe such can be seen in the above photo. As has been mentioned, the Hotchkiss shell used a lead sabot to catch the rifling which mostly fell away once the round left the tube (which is why it was bad practice to fire rifled guns over the heads of friendly troops).
Rifled shells could use either timed or percussion fuses (or even combination fuses) whereas spherical shells used only times fuses. Also, rifled projectiles were loaded separately from the powder charge whereas spherical rounds were attached to their powder bags. This made loading rifled guns a bit slower than smoothbores.
Hope that's a little help.
Hey John,
Could you help me understand the different type fuse holes we see in Duane Pringle's spherical shells? One looks as if it had once been manufactured to receive the Bormann, the other spherical shells on his mantle looks to have been wood fuse adapters or copper ball adapters. Just want to figure this out. Sorry for. The stupid question. Thanks in advance!