Carl, I'm not picking on you by quoting you several times in the following.
It's just that your posts have the shortest version of various questions that have been posted lately, which makes the quoting simpler to do (see the > below).
CarlS wrote:
> Regarding the pine sap matrix I think that it can be yellowish and is sometime thought to be a dulled sulfur matrix.
The pine-sap matrix can be pale yellow, pale greyish-yellow, or pale grey, or dark-ish grey... because the manufacturers were not concerned with keeping the collected pine-sap "clean and pure" in the sap-gathering process and matrix production process. Also, I suspect the manufacturers weren't concerned about washing the melting-pots before each use and re-use. ;-)
Alwion wrote:
> Not to mix threads, but Mike once offered me a cut ball with pine matrix, and it was still a little stickey still and was tar sap of a dark semi translucent color like old varnish, much darker than what pete posted, almost black.
Heating the collected dried/gooey pine-sap hot enough to melt it for pouring into the shells can cause the original color to change. If heated too hot over an open fire, it can start blackening.
To determine whether the matrix is sulfur or pine-sap, I suggest doing the "scratch-&-sniff" test. Or a similar equivalent. If necessary, heat (or burn) a tiny bit of it. Pine-sap has an unmistakable odor. I've smelled the distinctive odor of asphalt/tar when working on Case-Shot shells with that matrix.
Callicles wrote:
> In other words, was the switch to iron balls codified in some order from the Confederate government like the one affecting the switch to the replacement fuses? Or was the switch to iron a gradual one based largely on availability?
The switch was immediate at major CS artillery shell manufacturers, like Tredegar and Samson-&-Pae in Richmond, but smaller manufacturers seem to have continued using lead for a while even in the "new" copper-timefuzed 12-pounder Case-Shot. I've owned a few such balls, with a copper fuzeplug but no sideloader plug, and weighing almost 11 pounds, which means they must have lead case-shot balls inside them.
CarlS wrote:
> The CS Bormann was discontinued in about 1862 and the side loaders showed up about a year later so there would appear to be no overlap.
No offense, but there definitely was overlap. According to Mike O's research, the CS Ordnance Department's first order for manufacturing Sideloader 12-pounder Case-Shot was placed in October 1862. Bormann fuze manufacture was stopped after prematurely-exploding ones caused many Confederate casualties at the battle of Fredericksburg, in December 1862. Existing stock got used up, rather than destroyed. We know that Lee's artillery fired a good number of CS Bormann-fuzed 12-pounders at Gettysburg.
Although we know when the first iron-ball (Sideloader) Case-Shot shells were ordered, we cannot know precisely when they first got used in battle. Sideloaders were produced in time to be present at Fredericksburg (Dec. 1862), but because they were used in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg (May 1863), we can't tell when the ones we dig at Fredericksburg were fired.
I should mention, there is definitely some significant lag time between ordering, manufacturing, and first use in combat. More than just the few weeks lag we'd assume.
CarlS wrote:
> Checking around I've found Bormann replacement fused shells but not another example of one with the Bormann fuse in it. Does that mean when these were made they weren't using the Bormann fuse?
Yes. Insofar as I'm aware, use of the CS Bormann Replacement papertime fuzeplug did not occur until latter-1864, as a desperation tactic to get some use out of the many leftover Bormann shell-bodies from the condemnation of the CS Bormann fuze in very-late 1862 by E.P. Alexander.
Noonanda wrote:
> IIRC the change to Iron case shot happened in mid-summer 1862 didn't it? Cant remember where I read it (and I defer to the experts) but wasn't it after the 7 days battles due to a lead shortage?
You might be confusing the Spring 1862 discontinuation of Confederate manufacturing of lead artillery sabots with the October 1862 switch to iron case-shot balls. The 7-Days battles (end-of-June/start-of-July 1862) were the last gasp of Archer projectile (lead sabot) usage in Virginia, except for a few that (in desperation) were sent with Lee into Pennsylvania, and got used at Gettysburg.
Regards to all,
Pete