Thanks for posting those nice Mullanes from your collection. The first 3 inch with the low side-hole I believe was made in Lynchburg by Deane & Son and sent by canal boat to Richmond's Somers & Baker. There, during the first week of December 1862, the fuze hole war threaded and the side hole reamed and threaded for 50 cents. I strongly suspect your shell was among the 108 3 in. Rifle Shells listed on the first invoice below. If not, your shell was included on the second weekly invoice (not shown here) because they soon moved the side holes above the top bourrelet. All of the 3 inch and 10 pdr Parrott side holes and brass fuzes represented the efforts of Somers & Baker. That includes almost all found at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. They also fuzed and put the side holes in all of the captured 3 inch Dyer ammunition found at those two battle sites. All told, S & B made about 20.000 long-range copper adapters for Richmond foundries like Rahm, Snyder & Walker and probably a couple of others. You will never find a side hole in a 3 inch Read or 10 pdr. Parrott made by Samson & Pae because they made their own brass fuzes and completely finished all of their own projectiles.
The mold pattern for casting your 3 inch Mullane is distinctly different from Tredegar's which can be see with the flush-bolt Mullane in front of your side-loader. That body style, with long bolts as well, is found in great quantity on the Peninsula and 7-Days battlefields. At that time, Tredegar was casting nearly all 3 inch Mullanes (est. 8-10,000). This improved flush-bolt arrangement was only adopted by Tredegar at the end of their production run around July or August of 1862. At that time, they were making lots of Brooke saboted shells which really was just an improved Mullane sabot designed by Cmdr. John Brooke for the CS Navy. Tredegar made this adjustment on their own. The last of these flush-bolt shells made by the ironworks had copper fuze plugs. Tredegar billed in June 1862 for making a mold for the copper adapters.
Below, are three pertinent Somers & Baker invoices showing their work. I have many more. It was a 6 month contract which helps explain why the side plugs gradually disappear after Gettysburg.
I''ll post again with info about some of the other Mullanes in your pics.
Woodenhead