18pdr Shrapnel + French Shrapnel

[Fuse106e]

Hi
I thought I would post an 18pdr shrapnel and a French shrapnel shell. Ive always thought that the 18pdr was period done, with original paint and lacquer on the band. Not too sure of the fuze though it is a nice complete unfired one with the leather washer in place. The French shell is clearly not period but is such a complex construction that it is, to me at least a very interesting piece.
Cheers
Dom

 

[Fuse106e]

Now for the French shell
cheers
Dom

 

[Millsman]

Many thanks for this. I'd not appreciated how complex the French shells were.;

 

[frijoles108]

Is that a 155mm french shell?

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[Sprockets]

I had heard Cast Iron spacers were used instead of the usual rosin, but it was not revealed that the French used this system. It must have reduced the number of balls considerably, when the US sometimes used cubic balls(misleadingly called hexagons!) to increase the numbers! Perhaps it was felt that rosin might reduce the size of the projectile cone?

 

[Gspragge]

I think the iron spacers are an 1880s - 1890s feature used by various designs and died out as it would have proved unnecessary. I guess the
idea was to keep the internal load from shifting in flight. Here is an 1894 example
for the American Ordnance Co.