The Confederate Side-Loader

[UCVRelics]

The CS side loader have always intrigued me ever since the day I dug my first one. As the war drug on and lead became scarce the CS Ordnance Dept had to improvise on a lot of items and the 12lb was a good example. Conventional case shot shells were usually filled with soft matrix and lead balls, an auger would be used to drill through the lead balls and the matrix to create a void for the powder train. Because of a shortage of lead, the Confederates substituted iron balls. To drill through a mixture of matrix and iron balls would be difficult, so a sizing rod would be inserted through the fuze hole to reserve a void for the powder, the iron balls and matrix would be loaded through a side hole, once loaded the side hole would be plugged, the sizing rod would be removed, and the powder train would be filled. This one was sealed with a iron sideplug. Fuze employed was a Confederate copper time fuze, short pattern for spherical projectiles, with flange and spanner holes, the fuze hole is recessed to seat the flange flush with the curvature of the ball. Another one of the things that make these whistle Dixie is the side or molding seam.

 

[JOHN42768]

Never knew there was a side loader

 

[lelliott19]

Very cool. Thanks for educating us on Confederate ordnance. I had no idea either.

 

[alan polk]

Nice pictures.

I've often wondered if the switch to side loaders also correlated with the Confederacy's discontinuation of the Bormann fuse or whether such was purely coincidental.

 

[UCVRelics]

Good question but I think it was due to having to use the iron ball in the case shot as before the lead shortage they made them the same way as the union.

 

[Frederick14Va]

Good question but I think it was due to having to use the iron ball in the case shot as before the lead shortage they made them the same way as the union.

Agree with @ucvrelics... Use of iron case shot balls necessitated the advent of the side loaded shells. Even though the CS ceased producing Bormann fuses.. Often their use continued in the field using up existing ammo stocks... Ive found a host of them from late war battlefields. Paper time fuses using copper fuse holders was apparently in much more common use than the Bormann's

 

[UCVRelics]

Here is a GREAT rundown on the yankee way of loading these shells.

THE HAND-BOOK OF ARTILLERY,
FOR THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES,
(ARMY AND MILITIA.)
WITH THE
MANUAL OF HEAVY ARTILLERY, INCLUDING
THAT OF THE NEW IRON CARRIAGE.

BY
JOSEPH ROBERTS,
MAJOR 4TH REGT. ART., U. S. A., AND COLONEL 3D PENN. ART.

FIFTH EDITION,
REVISED AND GREATLY ENLARGED.

NEW YORK:
D. VAN NOSTRAND, 192 BROADWAY.
1863
===========================================


49. Describe the process of loading spherical case shot.

The shot having been cleaned, the balls are put in. A stick with a less diameter than the fuze hole, and having a groove on each side of it, is inserted and pushed to the bottom of the chamber by working the balls aside. The shot is then placed in a sand-bath or oven, and brought to a proper temperature to receive the sulphur, which in a melted state is poured in to fill up the interstices between the balls; the shot is allowed to cool, and the sulphur to harden, when the stick is withdrawn, and the sulphur adhering to the sides of the eye and the surface of the shot is removed. If a fuze-plug and paper-fuze arc to be used, the charge is poured in, and the plug inserted exactly as in ease of a shell; but, if the Bormann fuze is to be used the charge is inserted and the stopper and fuze screwed into their places, care being taken before placing the fuze in position to puncture the covering of the magazine, so that the fire can communicate with the charge.

Spherical-case are now usually loaded by putting in the bullets and pouring melted sulphur or rosin in until the case is full. After the sulphur has cooled, the space for the powder is bored out by a cutter, which removes both the sulphur and portions of the bullets from the space. This is a quicker method, and gives a more compact projectile.

50. What advantages does this mode of loading possess over the old one?

In the old mode there was a liability to accidents, and, if the powder remained in for any length of time before being used, it was ground up and became impaired. By the new mode the powder can be placed in the small chamber, and allowed to remain without fear of damage or danger, and be ready for use when required. Being, besides, in a compact mass, instead of scattered among the bullets, its power is much greater, and it acts more effectively in throwing the bullets outward from the centre.

 

[speedenforcer]

Very nice. I have one with the lead side loading plug

 

[speedenforcer]

also of interest, sometimes in southern shells you will find pine resin as the matrix instead of the usual tar pitch or sulfur matrix due to shortages in the south. One thing the south did have plenty of and that was pine trees. The pine resin will sometimes slightly resemble a dull sulfur. the sectioned shell shown above appears to be the pine resin instead of the sulfur.