Sir Joseph Whitworth prototype cannon round.

[Ijamesm]

Hi all,

I am an EOD Engineer (retired) and I work for a company that carries out searches for construction projects looking for unexploded ordnance from mostly WW2.

On Monday while searching a site in the Fallowfield area of Manchester I picked up a signal from my search equipment and dug up a lump of metal with corrosion all over it, after chipping off the outer corrosion I was left holding a 4 inch projectile!! I have never seen an item like this before and have had to study up on it as my expertise covers mostly WW2 German bombs. I subsequently found out that I was searching around 300 metres away from sir Joseph Whitworth's house of 1850-1854.

The diameter at its thickest is around 1.26 inch which makes me think it is for the 1.5inch breach loaded Whitworth cannon, but I am not entirely sure. If anyone has any other information I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[MRB1863]

Hello and welcome from 35 miles north of Gettysburg!

Here are some stats regarding the Whitworth cannon:

• 3-pounder Whitworth rifle (Length of bore, 72 inches; diameter of bore, 1.7-inches; weight of gun, 208 pounds)
• 12-pounder Whitworth breech-loading rifle (Length of bore, 104 inches; smallest diameter of bore, 2.75 inches; weight of gun, 1,100 pounds)
  
• 70-pounder Whitworth rifle (Length of bore, 114 inches; diameter of bore, 5 inches; weight of gun, 16,660 pounds) Also referred to as a 80-pounder.

 

[redbob]

It appears to be a Whitworth bolt and you have a winner-congratulations. The Springfield Arsenal LLC had a 1.5 inch Whitworth gun in it's collection at one time, but I don't know the history of it. Also, welcome to the forum; it is good to have you join us.

 

[LoriAnn]

Welcome!

 

[Ijamesm]

Unfortunately there is little to no interest from my client, but I love the history behind it! Innovation at the time before more modern designs took over. The fear that must have been felt by these more accurate weapons must have been disconcerting to the soldiers used to the randomness of the less accurate weapons.

I'm hoping to make this a museum piece but possibly going to put up for auction if no interest.

Thank you for the kind welcomes.

 

[PeterT]

Welcome from Melbourne Australia!

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

That's an excellent find !

Here are a couple of older threads about the Whitworth:

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/whitworth-gun.92739/

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/whitworth-guns-at-gettysburg.92754/#post-764211

 

[reading48]

Hello and Greetings from Penna.

 

[Banjo Pete]

Hi ljamesm and welcome! What a wonderful find. If the museums show no interest and you decide to sell I suggest you market it as a miraculous experimental long range American Civil War projectile. Which overshot its target by so much that it flew clear across the ocean way before the Germans bombarded Paris from afar in 1917 ;-)

Seriously cool!

 

[John Winn]

That's a great find and even more cool that it may have been handled by Whitworth himself. Maybe you'll find another one !

And just because I'm type A I have to say while the better range and accuracy (and scary sound) of the Whitworth was certainly a concern the other field artillery pieces weren't exactly random regarding accuracy. Good artillerists could actually put solid shot pretty much where they wanted it and shot and shell were generally good at raining shrapnel down on advancing troops while canister was quite effective at close ranges (whereas the rifled guns weren't so much; thus, continued use of Napoleons and howitzers).

Anyway, good find and welcome from Southern Oregon (northern Jefferson).