Larger lead round ball?

[Duane Pringle]

what is this lead ball on the right the one on left is a 69 musket ball we found 3 of these larger balls on 1864 confederate camp site near battlefield?

 

[redbob]

Canister shot from a later 3" canister perhaps? But later in the war the lead shot in a canister got smaller as there was up to 154 in a round. Or possibly a .75 round from a British Brown Bess?

 

[Duane Pringle]

This is from the oct 1864 battle site.

 

[UCVRelics]

I agree with @redbob canister shot.

 

[redbob]

This is from the oct 1864 battle site.

There were still some Brown Bess's around during the Civil War period, but to still be using them in 1864 might be a stretch.

 

[tbuckley]

Just going by the picture, if the one on the left is a .69 ball, I would think that the ball on the right would be too big for a .75 Brown Bess. I also believe it's a canister ball.

 

[alan polk]

I agree, canister. I know I have found some of those scattered about a battlefield. I also found a lead base to a Wiard canister round among those canister shots. I assumed my large round balls were from this Wiard. Perhaps yours is from a Wiard round as well.

 

[JOHN42768]

Pure brutality from canister

 

[mofederal]

An interesting find, I would agree it is a canister round. I always have liked the Wiard. I don't hear much about them anymore.

 

[drezac]

With it being lead, it would more likly be from spherical case. Canister usually used iron balls. Spherical case used lead so that after it was filled with the balls and sulfer, they could drill a cavity in the center to hold the bursting charge.

 

[redbob]

With it being lead, it would more likly be from spherical case. Canister usually used iron balls. Spherical case used lead so that after it was filled with the balls and sulfer, they could drill a cavity in the center to hold the bursting charge.

Later in the War, canister rounds for the 3" Rifles , Parrots and other rifled guns started using lead balls with the balls being much smaller and in larger numbers in the rounds than the canister balls for smoothbore guns such as the Napoleon.

 

[alan polk]

With it being lead, it would more likly be from spherical case. Canister usually used iron balls. Spherical case used lead so that after it was filled with the balls and sulfer, they could drill a cavity in the center to hold the bursting charge.

I suppose that could be the case. I don't know much about naval or siege artillery. Those huge caliber shells might contain large lead balls in case-shot. I'm not sure from which battle the item was recovered, but I would think that the lead ball pictured is too large for field artillery. I could be wrong, and would like to see other comments regarding case-shot sizes in field caliber artillery projectiles. I know the Wiard canister rounds specifically contained lead balls the size pictured.

 

[Duane Pringle]

This is a Missouri battlefield.

 

[FZ11]

View attachment 173343what is this lead ball on the right the one on left is a 69 musket ball we found 3 of these larger balls on 1864 confederate camp site near battlefield?

It's a canister ball. Usually, 27 of those in a 12 lb. Napoleon round. Case shot used musket balls.

 

[Package4]

View attachment 173343what is this lead ball on the right the one on left is a 69 musket ball we found 3 of these larger balls on 1864 confederate camp site near battlefield?

Can you give us the diameter and weight, these were used as case shot and canister: McKee and Mason list ones that have been previously found and match to various guns and shells.

 

[Duane Pringle]

I can give you diameter dont have anything here to weigh that light of a object.

 

[Duane Pringle]

0.854 is what I got.

 

[Package4]

0.854 is what I got.

That is in line with case shot for 8"-9"-10"-11" Guns according to McKee & Mason field recoveries "Civil War Projectiles II" page 67. The weight should be approximately 932 grains & diameter .855. Canister diameters are much larger for lead balls, but the idea of an 8" gun on the field in Missouri belies credulity.

 

[Duane Pringle]

Ok never thought we would find lead case shot like this.

 

[alan polk]

Are you hunting along the MS river in Missouri?