In keeping with John's understanding that the forum topics should "relate to hardware and not with projectile trajectory physics", here is a hardware question:
What does the letter "S" signify when found cast on the bottom of a 100-lber Parrott shell? I figure it means "Sabot end" for the young gunner but since there might be another explanation I thought I'd ask this esteemed group.
This short pattern 100-lber is from the Mobile area and looks to have been white metal percussion. I don't know much more than that. I was flushing the insides for one of the forumites who might be able to give more details on it's history. Just as I was about to plunge the cold steel bit into the even colder cast iron I noticed the raised "S" on the bottom of the shell. I forgot to measure it but the letter is about 2 inches high and about 1 inch wide. In the box outline in the 2nd image below the "S" is positioned from the lower left to the upper right. While not crisp it is definitely there. I don't recall ever seeing this on a Parrott. I know Mike got a couple CS ring-sabotted Brooke shells from Spanish Fort/Blakeley that have similar letters on their base (I think a "B" and "P" if I recall correctly). Anyone seen this before?
