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Old shell

SG500

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I picked this up at Stoneleigh recently. An old lead coated shell, minus the lead but unusually not sea recovered so nice and stable.

Outside my area of collecting or expertise. I just liked it.

Totally empty and INERT, the only thing inside was a Belgium gum wrapper - not sure if that gives a clue to where it originated.

3.5 inch calibre.

7.5 inches long

8lb in weight, but of course the lead, fuze and explosive aren't there so I don't know how heavy it would be when complete

Markings are shown but a bit vague, there are no markings on the base:

V l 1133
E
0

So........over to the experts. Can anyone give me any more information about this one please?

Thanks

Dave.

IMG_3703.jpgIMG_3704.jpgIMG_3705.jpgIMG_3706.jpgIMG_3707.jpgIMG_3709.jpgIMG_3711.jpgIMG_3702.jpgIMG_3701.jpg
 
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Hi Dave,
I think it is a Prussian 6 pd shell of 1861. Sorry but it's completely in French, part of Doc of Mr Belot
This kind of shell is relatively common in Belgium and particularly in the region of Antwerpen haven !


Yoda
 

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That's great info Yodamaster. Very interesting.

I put it all through google translate as follows.


Shots of 6, 12 and 24 pounds for cannons in service in the Royal Artillery of Prussia in 1861, the projectiles fired by the striped guns of the Prussian royal artillery consisted of solid cannonballs, hollow shells and grape boxes. These guns were said to be 24 pounds, 12 pounds, and 6 pounds. These designations did not reference to the actual weights of their projectiles, but to those of spherical the old smooth-core pieces of the same calibre: the stripe of the guns also made it possible to projectiles elongated and therefore heavier. The bullets and shells were cast iron bodies of the cylindro-ogival type, with silhouettes similar, provided with a lead shirt on their cylindrical part. Missile projectiles from this shirt were said to be "crushed". The grape boxes were built like those for old smooth-skinned guns. The bullets they contained were not iron but zinc, to protect the stripes cannon The ball of 24 pounds. Balls, solid and massive projectiles acting only by their mass and speed, only existed in 24-pound calibre. Their use was exceptional, and reserved for treatment of particularly resistant targets such as battleships or solids granite walls. The impact power of explosive shells allowed them to respond to other usual missions of the combat in campaign or in siege. The iron body of the 24-pound ball consisted of the ogee head, the conical part, the cylindrical part and the base. The conical and cylindrical portions received the covering of lead, immobilized by four annular overthickness carried by the cylindrical part and Guarantees of any risk of sliding backwards by a recess hollow dovetail formed in the base cylinder. The four trapezoidal ribs of the cylindrical portion had two grooves
longitudinal parallel of the same height they and diametrically opposite. These grooves stopped the rotation of the lead cover.
The hollow projectiles. The hollow projectiles in use in 1861 consisted of 6-pound, 12-pound, and 24-pound exploding shells, and shrapnel shells of 6 pounds. They all had an ogive. The base of the explosive shells was massive, that of the 6-pound shrapnel shell had a central loading port closed by a screwed cap. A channel intended for the passage of the centrifugal pin crossed the warhead to end in the housing of the firing device. This device being common to the three calibres, the canal was always drilled to the same height under the eye, and its length therefore varied according to of the curve of the ogive. The shell cavity was cylindro-conical, curved at the top and at the base. That of the shell of 24 pounds was more cylindrical than those of the other two calibres.

Shrapnel shells had only been made in six-pound calibre. They had a more large internal cavity, and therefore a thinner wall. The balls were introduced through a hole threaded on the left (19.6 mm / 15.95 mm, six threads on 13 mm), formed in the base and closed by a screw cap with cylindrical head with a diameter of 26.15 mm. An annular seal lead was interposed between the cap head and the rear slice of the Shrapnel. Before loading, the bullets were oiled, as were all parts of the shell that were came into contact with molten sulphur. The aim was to prevent sulphur from adhering to bullets released by the bursting of the powder charge, which would have seriously diminished their speed and therefore their strength at impact. For the same purpose, the shell and all the tools serving at loading were warmed up. To fill the shell, an oiled mandrel was introduced by the eye of the shell, closing it hermetically and realizing an axial obstacle that went almost to the bottom of the recess from the body. The projectile was then returned, and 88 to 94 bales of cavalry were introduced by the opening of the base. At the beginning of the operation, the placement of the bullets could be facilitated by acting on the mandrel. Then the chuck was blocked by the bullets, which we continued to introduce, the last layer being pushed towards the walls then forced using of an iron rod. The molten sulphur was then poured into the body of the Shrapnel using an oiled funnel special that came in extension of the mandrel. It allowed to cool and freeze the excess of sulphur in this funnel which was then removed. If necessary, a little sulphur was poured into the resultant recess, in order to avoid any vacuum at the bottom of the shell, whose base aperture was then closed by the screwed cap with its ring seal lead. The mandrel was then extracted after a slight rotation, leaving a straight and smooth orifice. The bullets' warhead was then painted red with oil minium, for distinguish explosive shells of the same dimensions. We had to be careful not to let pour the paint on the lead shirt, and especially to avoid clogging the pin channel.
Loading explosive shells and shrapnel. The housing of the bursting charge was free of any metal chips, sand mouldings and all other impurities. The charge of gunpowder was then introduced by the eye and packed to fill all the empty space leaving only the space necessary for the installation of the device priming and closing. The average charge of explosive shells was around 250 grams for the shell of 6 pounds, 500 grams for the 12-pound shell, 920 grams for the 25-pound shell. In the 6-pound Shrapnel, the bursting charge of 21 grams of black powder was housed in a tube of brass sheet (0.5 mm), which then inserted into the recess cylindrical left in the sulphur and bullets during the removal of the mandrel. This provision was made necessary by the possibility of fissures in the sulphur during the transport and manipulation and especially at the moment of the shot. On all the filled hollow projectiles, the housing of the explosive charge was closed by a socket that was fixed on the shoulder of the eye by widening it by means of a clip special.
The projectile could then receive its percussive firing device, including the pin and
the screwed primer holder was only put in place at the moment of firing.
Weight of projectiles.

The 24-pound ball weighed in the firing order 33.2 kg of which 25.07 kg for the cast iron body, the difference representing the lead shirt.

The 24-pound shell weighed 27.35 kg, of which 18.23 kg was cast iron,
0.92 kg for the explosive charge, 0.07 kg for the firing device, the difference
representing the lead shirt.

The 12-pound shell weighed in the firing order 14.6 kg, of which 8.8 kg was cast iron, 0.5
kg for the explosive charge, 0.07 kg for the firing device, the difference
representing the lead shirt.

The 6-pound shell weighed 6.88 kg, of which 3.84 kg was cast iron,
0.25 kg for the explosive charge, 0.07 kg for the firing device, the difference
representing the lead shirt.

The 6-pound Shrapnel weighed in the firing order 7.97 kg including 3.22 kg for the hollow body in cast iron, 1.516 kg for bales, 0.384 kg for sulfur and capping, 0.021 kg for
the explosive charge, 0.07 kg for the firing device, the difference representing the
lead shirt.

Some shells loaded and fired during peacetime exercises could be found
when they missed. They were then transported after repositioning a pin,
defused and unloaded with care, and rebuilt. The bodies were then marked
of a recumbent cross struck cold under the passage of the pin.
Peacetime shots made use of shells and shrapnel inert. To give them the
nominal weight, these projectiles were weighted with dry peas, coal dust or other
inert materials.

The scrap box for 6 pound cannon. In 1861, only the 6-pound shotgun box was in service. This scrap box consisted of the empty socket with welded base, the propellant shoe with lead disc, loading and plate made of zinc sheet. The socket was made of 0.4 to 0.5 mm thick white iron sheet and protected from rust by a thin end coated with minium on both sides. The hoof was made of white beech wood. He carried the socket, fixed by six points of 2 cm to head tinned. This socket was filled with moulded zinc balls of about 83 grams. The texts specified that the number of bullets delivered in a 50-kilo drum should be between 630 and 530 projectiles. The 41 bullets were placed in the sleeve in five layers of seven (one bullet in the center and the other six around) and the six-ball upper layer, the middle one missing. The socket was then closed by a pad stopped by folding iron tongues white cut in the anterior end of the sleeve. The theoretical weight of a grape box in firing order was 4.116 kg. The gauges are respectively 89.43 mm, 117.675 mm and 145.94 mm
 
Prussian(or better Krupp) system yes, but not prussian manufactured. It looks like an unfinished shell because it has no fuze thread - probably not machined after casting.
 
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That's great info Yodamaster. Very interesting.

A channel intended for the passage of the centrifugal pin crossed the warhead to end in the housing of the firing device. This device being common to the three calibres, the canal was always drilled to the same height under the eye, and its length therefore varied according to of the curve of the ogive. The shell cavity was cylindro-conical, curved at the top and at the base.

I agree Alpini, it must be an unfinished shell because there is another thing missing, the safety pin hole !


Yoda
 
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