Is this a civil war shell?

[Story]

That'd be interesting if it was a APDS bolt for a smoothbore 12lb gun.

Descriptions of solid shot for smoothbore guns

Caliber designation Bore Diameter in inches Diameter of shot in inches Weight in pounds (Shot)

12-Pdr. 4.62 4.52 12.25
http://www.civilwarartillery.com/shottables.htm

 

[sbennett1298]

1. Take someone with you to film that, sounds like pure YouTube gold.
2. Grease it first. ;-)

I can just imagine the cops rolling up on me if I attempted a test fit for academic purposes.
Sounds like just the sort of thing that would happen to me. LOL
Cop: "What do you think you are doing there mister?"
Me: "Oh just checking the size of this shell ocifer. Is they a prollum?"
Me: "Oh it's stuck. Can you help me pull it out?"
Cop: "134 to station. We need the bomb squad and SWAT here ASAP."

 

[sbennett1298]

Here is an update on the weight. The fish scales I used to weigh it today say 26lbs.
That's a little more than I previously thought.

 

[sbennett1298]

Is that 4.5" exactly, or just under 4.5"?







Until then, we have fresh information to use. If this is a Confederate APDS emergency production round for use against Yankee gunboats/tinclads, then it may have been cast as close to the bore diameter of the intended gun tubes & without bourrelet rings.

30 lb Siege Gun is a 4.5", designed to lob 30 lb shells. Someone cranking out home-brewed APDS bolts might have been casting them real close, particularly if you add in the weight of the missing sabot and the stud.
http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/4.5_inch_Siege_Rifle

When I weighed it again with a fishing scale I got 26lbs which is getting really close to the 30lbs of the Siege Gun projectile you describe. Do the weights include the sabot I don't have?

 

[Story]

Do the weights include the sabot I don't have?

Probably, as I believe they were given as *complete*.

Concentrate your reading research on the Confederate fight against Mississippi River Federal gunboats. I swear I remember reading *somewhere* about the Rebs firing bolts at them.

Also, scroll back to the WWI era shell - wouldn't hurt to wander over to the WWI forums and ask about incomplete castings, just to be thorough.