This discussion of loading of a Hotchkiss into a Parrott brought back to mind this blast from the past concerning a Hotchkiss and a 3-inch Confederate Parrott-type rifle (from our earlier Forum site). I had a Hotchkiss that evidenced unusual rifling marks—from my catalogue:
Federal 3” brass-fused Type I Hotchkiss Percussion shell (brass Hotchkiss
Percussion Type II fuse)--designed for the U.S. 3” Ordnance Rifle--
shell measures 2.92” diameter. No patent date on the cup, and no
date on the fuse (the dated fuse “appears in mid-1863,” per D&G, p.
166)--with no date on the fuse, that implies that this is a late war
shell, and was probably from the skirmish at Coosawhatchie, South
Carolina, 9 December 1864 (Howard Alligood, Jr., agrees, based on
the location found). This shell evidences two (of three) wide
Parrott-type rifling marks (1.25”) caused by the rifle’s grooves. This
is remarkable because unusual that the stress of the Parrott-type
rifle (usually had a gaining-twist) did not rip the sabot. As from
the 1864 battle (and evidencing 3x3 rifling), it could have only been
fired from either a U.S. Model 1863 3” Parrott, or a Confederate 3”
Parrott-type rifle with three large grooves. As the sabot is
remarkably intact, this may argue for a CS rifle without a gaining twist
to the rifling. Similar to Dickey & George, p. 166. Pete George,
in correspondence 7 March 2006, helped with the above facts. Dug
at Coosawhatchie, South Carolina.
For those interested, here are two of my notes on this matter from the old Forum, Sep. 2004:
1. At the beginning of last year, I spent a good amount of time researching this one--well, at least the early CS 3-inch “Parrott pattern” rifles. The answer is that, indeed, the 3-inch CS rifles came in a variety of land and groove flavors. Many don’t realize that one of those flavors came in the form of a “3-inch rifle gun, Parrott pattern,” which actually predated the Federal version (see the OR: Series 1, vol. 15, Part 1, p. 1087, that mentions them in November, 1862--see also D&G, p. 246). Now some of these early 3-inch CS Parrotts had 12x12 left-hand twist rifling (per Cole), but many evidently had 3x3 rifling (like the Federals would have in theirs later--a straight 3x3 “wide”--see Ripley). I’ve seen sabots that demonstrate this--one CS Read found at Fredericksburg had 3x3 “wide” rifling on the sabot. The CS 3x3 came in at least three varieties: one had a right-hand twist, and the two others were straight 3x3s (a “wide” [D&G p. 246] and a “narrow” [D&G p. 129] [producing a 5/8” tab on the sabot]). Of course, there were other 3 inch CS rifle types (not to mention the captured U.S. ones!), but hope this was helpful concerning my favorite 3-inch CS Parrotts!
2. For the record, I wanted to append this information to this former post. Pete George has helped dispel in my mind the idea that a shell designed for a 3” barrel could be forced (with minimal success perhaps) into a 2.9” barrel. Here is the recent information sent from Pete (thanks again, Pete!):
“Sorry, but ‘as the barrel got very hot it would expand’ is an incorrect assumption. A widely-believed one, I know, but still incorrect. When a heated metal expands, it expands in ALL directions. A hole through a piece of hot metal actually gets smaller, not larger. This is why your car's owner's-manual specifies that new sparkplugs MUST be installed when the engine is cold - NOT hot. Contrary to popular belief, the holes in the engine-block are smaller when hot than when cold. If you screw the sparkplug in ‘tight’ while the engine is hot, come back and check when it has cooled ...you'll find the formerly-tight plug is now loose-fitting. My point is, a hot cannon-bore is actually smaller in diameter than a cold one. So, no offense, but a 2.9” bore would have to be very seriously enlarged - AND completely free of powder-fouling - to accept a 2.92-2.94 projectile. I'd think those two conditions happening simultaneously would be an extremely rare occurrence. Furthermore, since Field Artillery cannon-rifling is usually only .05-07" deep, either no rifling or very little would remain in a significantly-enlarged (a.k.a. ‘shot out’) bore. Before one got to that stage, the yanks (having an unlimited supply) would turn it back in to their Ordnance Dept. and draw a fresh one. In the final year of the war the Confederates tended to retire their enlarged-bore cannons out of active (high-use) field service into ‘quiet backwater’ fort positions ...such as Fort Branch (NC) and High Bridge (VA).”
Horace