Artillery / Shells


Very Nice, Unfired, & Complete US 3.67" Hotchkiss Bolt from Historic Port Hudson
Nice & Rarer 4.5" Dyer (Naval) Shell From Port Hudson
Here's some "heavy metal" you don't see offered a lot--the larger and scarcer 4.5" Dyer shell, employed mainly by 4.5" Naval guns. They are a rather unique design and looking shell, complete with large ribbing to hold the lead sabot (this one threw the sabot in firing), a very bulbous head, and zinc paper-timed fuse adaptor. There is some minor ground action to this one, but no significant pitting whatsoever (unlike most of the Port Hudson specimens you see out there). It has been professionally cleaned and coated with Johnson's Paste Wax, and has a beautiful dark patina. The iron is completely stable and no active oxidation or flaking whatsoever.
Sale Pending
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Slick & Very Scarce War of 1812 9-Pounder American Cannonball From The Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815
Dug By Shane Mears on the West Bank of the Mississippi River
Here's a neat piece of ordnance loaded with cool early US history! This was dug long ago by Shane Mears along the area where British soldiers overran the American lines on the west bank at the Battle of New Orleans, and armed US schooners fired into the British lines to stem the tide, amongst which were 9-pounder deck guns. This one has a classic early American crudeness (much like Confederate manufactured pieces), in that there is a distinct mold seam running across the piece hemispherically, there is a great mold-sprue deformation (where they poured the iron into the mold to make the cannonball, and capped-off the area making it a flat-spot), and several mold-vent anomalies (where gas was allowed to escape while pouring--one looks like a tiny hole in the ball, where a void allowed gas to escape in pouring). Very stable and slick iron, being virtually unpitted in any way, and clearly an early find, since the iron is in such great condition by the coast. No active oxidation whatsoever. A really neat piece of our history from one of the most historic battles of the War of 1812. Though peace between the US and Great Britain had technically been declared already (the Treaty of Ghent), news had not reached the Deep South to either side, and the Battle was a terrible loss to the British, and also launched the reputation and career of General Andrew Jackson--a meteoric rise in fame that would take him to the White House...
Sale Pending

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Nice Fuse Display Grouping, w/ Fuse Packs, Half-Cut Fuses, CS Bormann Fuse, Friction Primers, CS Fuse Adaptors, & More
Yet another great artillery display for my "heavy metal" enthusiasts. This has a little of everything, and really makes for a splendid general display of artillery fusing and ignition. I shall list all of the items, starting at the top left and going down row by row (left to right):
- Hotchkiss percussion fuse, 1864-dated 5 sec fuse pack , 1863-dated watercap fuse
- Hotchkiss slider fuse, sectioned watercap fuse, NICE CS Bormann fuse, sectioned Schenkl combo fuse, slider
- Crossed cannon insignia [looks period--possibly pre-war--but not sure if it is, so it's thrown in for display only]
- Blown Bormann fuse, sectioned Parrott time fuse adaptor, friction primer, sectioned cannonball CS time fuse adapt., friction primer, sectioned Hotchkiss fuse with paper fuse, fuse piece
- Blown Hotchkiss fuse, Armstrong friction primer, 10 second time fuse [ from pack ], Armstrong friction primer, Confederate lead side-loader plug
- Confederate Read time fuse adaptor, piece of CS wood fuse adaptor, pack of 10 sec fuses, wood piece, Hotchkiss time fuse adaptor
It comes with a nice oak display case with latching glass door/cover. You'll pay far more individually than if you buy this entire grouping, and doubt you'll need to buy many other fuses to add this this representative display.
$895

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Scarce 10-Pound Read/Parrott Shell w/Schenkl Fuse (1861 Patent Date) -- Possible Confederate Specimen
Nice Excavated Condition, Complete Iron Sabot Intact, Cleaned, Coated, & Disarmed
Here's a hard-to-find 2.9" Read/Parrott shell! They are rarely encountered utilizing the Schenkl fuse, and this one is a very early 1861 patent-marked fuse, at that. Given the iron sabot (which is beautifully intact, and showing the rifling well), and the use of the very early Schenkl fuse, it may indeed be a Confederate specimen, as early-war Confederate rifled projectiles (such as these Read/Parrott's and Dyer's) have been found with 1861-dated Schenkl fuses. The iron is completely stable, and this one has been cleaned and coated to a beautiful dark finish. Great early-war shell, with very possible Confederate manufacture or use, utilizing the very desirable 1861-dated Schenkl fuse. This one will only cost you the price of a regular common Federal zinc-fused Parrott....
$325
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Original Field Artillery Lanyard -- Very Good Un-Issued Condition
There's also another piece of artillery equipment you need to operate a cannon--the lanyard to pull the friction primer and spark the charge! To go along with the other outstanding artillery equipment, I offer you this nice original field lanyard, in un-issued condition (probably a Bannerman). It is still in it's looped-knot configuration, and every piece is intact and present. No wear, obviously, and one small chip in the wooden handle from the years. The primer hook would be attached to the small twisted brass wire of the brass friction primer, which would be inserted into the breech. Upon pulling the panyard, the top of the friction primer would snap, thus the friction would create a spark down into the breech, igniting the charge. Another "must-have" for any artillery collector...
$550
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Slick & Dark, Rarer 20-Pound Parrott Excavated "Bottlenose" Bolt From Atlanta, W/ Complete Brass Sabot
The Federal armies by 1863 through 1864 had equipped their artillery arsenal with far more accurate, longer-ranged cannon, which became the terror of their foe. Able to fire accurately at 2 miles or more, rifled Parrott and Ordnance field pieces in multiple calibers were forcing the Confederates to depend upon fixed positions and fortifications for protection from the Federal "rain of fire". In response, newly-designed solid-shot "bolt" projectiles were created and used to pound away at Confederate fortified defenses to batter them down. This larger 20-Pound Parrott (standard field size was 10-Pound) "bottlenose" bolt projectile is one of them, being a very advanced engineering design utilizing Physics of the design to concentrate the force of the round's impact for maximum force, penetration, and destruction. Much like our use of "shaped-charges" today, the tapered nose comes to a much smaller "nose", in the shape of a bottle, and thus it's moniker. Far advanced thinking and design for the 1860. This specimen was excavated in Atlanta, and these rounds were well-used by Federal forces for accurately and effectively causing destruction to both the massive fortifications guarding Atlanta, and the physical structures of the town, as well. It is completely stable, with virtually no pitting--only the expected ground-action to be seen over the piece. The brass sabot is entirely intact, and shows the rifling of the 20-Pound Parrott Rifle very crisp. The form of the nose is still very distinct and intact as well (often they are chipped or highly deteriorated). A great displaying, quality specimen, as you can see in the photo's below.
$325
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Nice Dug Confederate 12-Pound Wood-Plug Fused Shell
The "Classic" Artillery Shell of the Confederacy
No representative collection is complete, in my opinion, without having the truly representative Confederate piece of iron within it--the 12-Pound Confederate wood-plug fused shell. Only the Confederacy produced these simple, cheap, and effective shells, and became the main 12-pound field round for all the South's armies well unto the end of the war. Without a lot of brass and zinc for making fuses, and the manufacturing capacity or expertise to make ingenious percussion fusses or times-fuse adaptors, they went to the more older, simpler, and tested design of a simple cork/wood plug drive, within which they would insert the times paper fuse for burning the proper amount of seconds in flight until exploding. This specimen has good, stable iron, with the usual and expected uniform ground action, and has been professionally cleaned and coated for your display to a beautiful dark patina. No large pits or missing iron, and no active oxidation or flaking whatsoever. A great example for any collection of any theme, it will be a nice educational piece...
$298