3" CS Archer From Shiloh Area

[rawwardigger]

A PF from Shiloh, TN area on July 4th, 2014. Missing the Sabot but in Excellent Condition! Wondering what the going price for this Rare Relic might be?? It might be for sale?? Speak Up Artillery heads!!

[CarlS]

Hello,

Style looks like a 3.3" bolt.  It is a good one.

If you want to sell it we can list it on the sales side of the site as consignment.  For it's integrity the forum has to be for discussion only.

[Woodenhead]

 From where your Archer was dug, can you tell what CS battery might have fired it?

W.H.

[alwion]

I tried to track one I had that was found there. I believe there were 4 3.3's in two batteries. amd they were stationed most of the battle at different areas. I might still have the research here somewhere

[Woodenhead]

I can't let this one go without further comment. Is it really an "Archer" if it doesn't have the tapered tail? It looks like a Hotchkiss nose with rings on the tail. It was a terrible idea! Lead sabot too thick and heavy. Was this by design or a stupid mistake by CS foundry? Below is an identical 3.3 inch version from Shiloh. I believe that most of those dug have been this slightly larger caliber. No shell versions am I aware of. I suspect these were cast in Memphis by Quinby & Robinson. They made eight or ten 3.3 inch bronze Rifles during 1861. For a short time in mid-1861, 3.3 inch was the regulation caliber for CS field Rifles. By the end of 1861, the regulation caliber had been reduced to 3 inch. They also made some bronze 3 inch Rifles and their invoices confirm the production of hundreds of field-caliber "Archer" projectiles (including some big 24, 32 and 42 pounder Archers). A number of Deep South foundries produced their own versions of the Archers. I'm still working out who made what.

The second photo below shows a common flat-nose 3 inch Archer bolt made in VA and dug on the Shiloh battlefield. The State of Mississippi purchased 5,000 of these from Tredegar in April 1861. Identical Archers have been excavated in Manassas and Centreville, Virginia. This was the correct design for an Archer bolt. I suspect the Deep South foundry tried to make their own version of this VA projectile without removing the lead sabot to observe the tapered iron ringed tail. Just a guess.

Woodenhead

[CarlS]

Woodenhead,

I guess you are suggesting or asking that if the projectile has a strait "tail" that it might not be an Archer?   It's a good question but I'd guess that it is just from the shape of the nose and rings and the dimples in the rings on the tail.   But it does have the general shape of a Hotchkiss nose.  In fact if you removed the cup from a Hotchkiss the remaining nose and sabot is also very similar looking to a saboted Archer.

The thick and heavy issue would not be an issue unless the sabot made the projectile too heavy for the gun firing it.  The ability of it to penetrate is a factor of velocity and weight (mass) so the weight would be good if it didn't cause the velocity to drop too much.  Lot of physics involved here that is over my head.

Is there a 3-inch version of this straight-tailed projectile?  I don't recall ever seeing one.  I still think the one RawWarDigger shows in the opening post is a 3-inch but he hasn't replied to my question so I'm not sure. 

You mention below invoices "including some big 24, 32 and 42 pounder Archers".  I've seen a couple 32-lber (6.4-inch caliber) and it is in Jack Bell's book.  Are there any known examples of the 24-lber (5.82 inch caliber) and 42-lber (7 inch) caliber) Archers?