Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum

Author Topic: Opinions, oddball projectile  (Read 5295 times)

pipedreamer65

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Opinions, oddball projectile
« on: February 08, 2017, 03:03:11 PM »
A POS 30# Parrott shell, no sabot, but has this iron ring inserted into the fuse hole, which makes it unique.  Can't tell if the ring is threaded or if it was hammered or pressed into the hole.  I've ran it twice and messed around with it some but cannot remove it.  I believe in the old medical oath "First, do no harm" so I have not put a lot of force to it.  The ring is wrought iron and appears to be contemporary with the projectile.

Anyway, it came from Fort Fisher.  Anyone ever seen such a thing?  I've heard converted to anchor, but I don't buy that.  Throwing rope or cable?  Make shift bolt conversion?

divedigger

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2017, 03:32:16 PM »
possibly gate weight, buoy anchor, probably not a throwing weight, you can't throw a 30 lb parrot very far, I found a 10'' Columbiad with an eyebolt blacksmith welded into the fuse hole. I had a small  artillery shell.3.4 Dahlgren with an eyebolt in it years ago that came from Camp Wyatt

pipedreamer65

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2017, 04:53:31 PM »
I meant attaching a cable to it and firing it from the cannon, ship to shore for a tether. 

May never know exactly.  Many thanks for advising me of the two other examples.   That is really interesting!

CarlS

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2017, 09:33:57 PM »
I don't think it was meant to be fired that way. The loop would be made much smaller.  Is the loop width wider than the shell?  If so it couldn't go down the bore.  Plus all that extra nose weight would probably cause it to tumble.  And given they only had hemp rope then it would take a ton of rope to reach as far as it could fire in a minimal sense.

Hard to tell what it might have been.  Maybe a Fort Fisher bombproof door weight?
Best,
Carl

pipedreamer65

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2017, 07:29:32 AM »
The ring is smaller than the shell.

Maybe it was a weight for the fort volleyball net posts.... lol...


scottfromgeorgia

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2017, 01:26:48 PM »
POW Parrott and chain weight?

Garret

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2017, 02:12:50 PM »
What are your plans for it Pipe?
"Suppose you were an idiot.  And suppose you were a member of Congress.  But I repeat myself."  Mark Twain

speedenforcer

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2017, 06:00:38 PM »
all of the above are possible or it could have been any other home made contraption that some farmer made up or something he needed.
It's not always "Survival of the fitest" sometimes the idiots get through.

CarlS

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2017, 06:41:48 PM »
I go with boat anchor.
Best,
Carl

scottfromgeorgia

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2017, 07:25:30 PM »
But it was found at Fort Fisher - and if it was, it probably served as a military rowboat anchor.

speedenforcer

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2017, 08:13:42 AM »
ok, I missed the Fort Fisher part. :-[
It's not always "Survival of the fitest" sometimes the idiots get through.

divedigger

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2017, 05:24:35 PM »
Anchor for fish net

pipedreamer65

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2017, 09:57:57 PM »
What are your plans for it Pipe?

I reckon I'll use it for an anchor Garrett....

Jack Bell

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2017, 02:42:53 PM »
The most common use for shells with these rings in them is as a post war gate closing weight. I have seen dozens of them some years ago in Charleston, before the city was gentrified.  It is possible of Civil War use for the same purpose or as an anchor, of which I have seen only a few. As to how it was put in, they seem mostly to have been hammered in.   

pipedreamer65

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Re: Opinions, oddball projectile
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2017, 10:02:56 AM »
Thank you for all the replies and ideas guys.  The projectile has a 21st century finish now.