Civil War Used Projectiles

[alwion]

We have discussed alot of CW era shells, and then some of questionable civil war usage shells, but unless actually "dug with providence" how can you tell if it is actually a civil war used projectile? The actual question which comes to my mind, is there a record of when each shell { or Gun}was withdrawn from use, here and then possibly abroad? I 'm assuming  just for a example, that a 3" parrot was used post war, but how late? and were the remaining guns demilled, or sold to other countries. Confederate shell were obviously not produced after 1865, but how long were the others used?  Are some of the dug "CW" relic shells available actually post war dug relics from some firing range possibly out west, making a relic w/o providence a CW "type" shell? Just Curious on some views on this subject as I'm not sure if any muzzle loaders were still in use by the span -am war

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

We know that Bormann, Water Cap, Schenkl were used post war past 1875 for certain. Purchases of Arrick (Eureka) were also post 1875
   Post war use of cloth bags to hold bursting charges were used to eliminate premature in bore explosions caused earlier by rough interior casting.  The use of these projectile powder bags required 'booster' charges added to the ends of Water Cap and Schenkl fuses.  I don't know of any sales of  projectiles to foreign countries.
Regards,
John

[emike123]

This is a good point.  I think Joe Vann has studied this period as much as any and I'd love to hear from him as he has been particularly silent of late.

I find it of interest that much of the heavy ordnance in forts was kept in place until extensive refurbishment of coastal fortifications was done in 1905 as the US geared up for new types of ships and prepared for the friction with Europe that came to a head a few years later as WWI.

[alwion]

I'm sure that replacing all of the ordinance all at the same time would have been impossible. May be why so many large ball rust in one place on the side, sitting in the same position in a coastal fort for 40 years . I would expect some calibers ( especially odd ball sizes) to only be war usage, then some more popular sizes or guns to be used much later
so far then
some field caliber to 1875
larger coastal to 1905

[joevann]

 They were used for a long, long, time.  Some Civil War era seacoast mortars were in use as late as 1910, and some ships in the Span-Am were still had smooth-bore guns.  Sorry for being so quiet.  The Navy produced watercap, Bormann, and Schenkl fuzes until 1896.  I think the word we are looking for is provenance not providence.  Providence gives us the ability to find shells.  The place where they are found gives them provenance.

[CarlS]

Joe,

Great to hear from you!  I would have never thought that seacoast mortars would have been in use after 1900.

[Pete George]

  If I recall correctly, somebody at this forum posted a newspaper report about the finding of a 30-Pounder Parrott shell which was fired into the coastline of Alaska by the US Navy many years after the end of the civil war. Can't recall what type of fuze was in it, nor the exact date of the firing -- maybe 1880s? CarlS will probably remember the news-report and the firing date.

Regards,
Pete

[emike123]

http://bulletandshell.com/forum/index.php?topic=167.msg893#msg893

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

John Biemick flew to Alaska to render it safe.
John

[CarlS]

Both John Biemick and Jack Melton went there.  The most expensive disarming job for one shell ever.