Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum

Author Topic: spherical case shot  (Read 3028 times)

joevann

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spherical case shot
« on: February 24, 2014, 09:55:04 AM »
I have seen several spherical case shot (shrapnel) containing Williams cleaner bullets rather than lead balls.  I have only found these on ranges of former military bases.  Are these post-CW when the War Department was economizing?  Does anyone know of any battlefield recoveries?

emike123

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Re: spherical case shot
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2014, 10:27:13 AM »
If your question is specific to the ones with the Williams Cleaners -- a Yankee bullet nobody liked to use but that was included in every box of Wms regulation rounds -- my input will not be helpful, but if it concerns all other CW bullets in case shot more generally, I have a few observations to add.

Many of the balls recovered from the Augusta River dumped from the nearby arsenal had bullets in them.  These are CS shells and look to be CS 3 ringers for the most part.

The CS Navy explosive bullet was condemned and the ones of them that turn up are in Western theatre shells as case shot.

A lot of the Wright fused balls had bullets in them.  This was at best a late war shell IMO, but I am open to different opinions on that.  The story I have heard is that a barrel of these balls was found in a barn in NC.  Whether these were war era or post war or even if this story is 100% true is all open to discussion.

scottfromgeorgia

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Re: spherical case shot
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2014, 11:51:20 AM »
The story I have heard is that a barrel of these balls was found in a barn in NC.

I believe I have a ball that came with such a story.

John D. Bartleson Jr.

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Re: spherical case shot
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2014, 12:24:38 PM »
How about some images well focused on the fuse.
John

joevann

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Re: spherical case shot
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2014, 12:14:37 AM »
My question is only concerning the Williams cleaner bullet in Federal spherical case shot.