Fuze Question: British Armstrong 150pdr Rifle

[tomcrawford]

Hoping to find some more information on the " particular fuzes " used in this British Rifle. Referenced in John M. Brooks book, but not much after the name and reference to fuzes, appears both spherical steel shot and shell were used.

[emike123]

I looked in Jack Bell's book and no fuses are mentioned with 8in Armstrong projectiles.  I have not looked in the Brook book you mention, but noted a couple of the 8in Armstrong bolts in Bell's book were not designed to take the rifling.  The spherical projectiles you mention wouldn't take the rifling either, and I don't think would've been designed for the gun but possibly rather used due to ammo shortages -- ammunition shortages for the 150lb Armstrong were noted a few times in the Fort Fisher book I just read but no use of spherical shot was mentioned rather it was kept more idle than desired. 

If spherical shot were used in an 8in Armstrong by the Confederacy in a pinch, they could've used the types of fuses and fuse adapters typically associated with 8in spherical shells, the most common of which is the wood fuse adapter.  I also have an 8in ball with a CS watercap fuse in it and an 8in (probably Union) ball with a Bormann time fuse in it.

[CarlS]

Hello,

I've been meaning to look in John Biemeck's most recent volume released (number III) as I know that he has the 150 pound Armstrong studded shell in it.  Incredibly coincidentally I picked a 150pdr Armstrong shell up about a week before you posted this so had look in his book to find out some basic info on the shell.  It's a monster.  I've been meaning to take a look to see what info he had on the fusing.  The one he has pictured is at West Point and they were used at Fort Fisher and maybe other places but I don't recall if other places were mentioned.  I'll try to take a look later today.

[CarlS]

I got out the book and the shell is on page 643.  Unfortunately the example is missing the fuse so it can't be determined what it had.  I'll need to take a picture of the one I have and post it as I'm not sure what it is.

[pipedreamer65]

I'm under the impression that the studded shells available for the Armstrong gun in Fort Fisher were detonated by heat friction and not fuzed.  They were the proper ammunition and provided with the imported gun from GB. 

The solid shot for it were made by a local foundry in NC or SC.  They were basically a long bolt or slug and were worthless.

Just my 2 cents

[WC Smith]

You need to take a look at the new book "THE ENGLISH CONNECTION", Chapter 8, by Russ Pritchard and Corky Huey, and at North South Trader Mag, 2005, Vol. 31, Number 2. 

[tomcrawford]

Thanks, have that book, it is a treasure trove of good info.  I read it from John Brooks letters and had never heard of it, like most of the reply's I thought they were bolts or friction upon impact initiated.  Need to dig deeper, Thanks very much

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

So does the pricy book state what fuzes are used??
Regards,
AJohn

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

150 pdr is not a designation that I am familiar with. The nearest I can find to 150 pounds is a Shell, RML, 7-inch, Double which has a filled weight close to 150 pounds. The fuzing seems to be No 41 (wooden Boxer type fuze), or the No 3 fuze.
No. 43 is similar to the No. 41,  Two mods of the No.3 are shown.
Kind Regards,
John

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Tom,
   
Did my last satisfy your fuze question?
John