6.6inch howitzer

[Burney Davis]

Including the studs the shell is around 7inch also the studs are the same size as the 7inch palliser shell or it’s a very rare early experimental shell

The studs are never included when measuring the caliber of a shell.

 

[Tuney]

The studs are never included when measuring the caliber of a shell.

So it’s a very rare experimental shell then

 

[Burney Davis]

This might sound crazy, but I believe the small studded shell is Japanese. I know of the existence of only 3 of these, and they are all from either the Japanese Boshin War 1868-69 or the Southwestern War of 1877. They are all 8.7cm in diameter and are for the French 6-Pounder La Hitte howitzer, which were exported to Japan in the 1860s. Interestingly, only this caliber has these style studs; the 4-pounder La hitte shells (8.4 cm) recovered in Japan look identical to your common French La hitte shell, because they were the exact same ones that France was using. These 8.7 cm shells with the thick copper studs are thought to be Japanese-manufactured for French-imported guns. Does yours happen to be 8.7 cm in diameter?

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I'm afraid I cannot say much about the 6.6" shell, but I would like to emphasise that the AI descriptions are very bad at identifying things like this, as they make up information without having real sources. I wouldn't trust anything other than period artillery docs, manuals, or treatises, or sources that cite period documents. That said, do you know where I can buy a copy of David Ibbetson’s book? Sounds like the perfect book for my research.

That is most interesting. And yes, the exact measurement is 8.7cm. Note that the studs are brass though.

 

[Burney Davis]

So it’s a very rare experimental shell then

If you say so. And my one makes two ...

 

[Tuney]

If you say so. And my one makes two ...

I’ve contacted the royal armoury’s in Leeds to see if they can shed any light on it . But yes mine and yours are the only 2 I’ve ever seen . I get offered the 64prs all the time but never a 6.6in with large brass studs so let’s see . Also is there anyone else out there with one in there collection ? I have a load of la- hitte shells coming and a lot of different Victorian European shells lead coats mainly but no studded shells apart from la-hitte

 

[hampshireman]

The 80 Pr has three rows of studs and is about the right diameter​

 

[Tuney]

The 80 Pr has three rows of studs and is about the right diameter​

It weighs 78lb empty so you think it would hold 2lb of explosive? I was thinking maybe 10 or 12lb of expensive but could be wrong

 

[Tuney]

It weighs 78lb empty so you think it would hold 2lb of explosive? I was thinking maybe 10 or 12lb of expensive but could be wrong

The 80 Pr has three rows of studs and is about the right diameter​

Been told it’s a very early development shell of the 6.6inch GUN not howitzer

 

[Tuney]

I don’t think that is a British 6.6” projectile. The picture below is of a page from David Ibbetson’s excellent book on British Artillery Ammunition, Volume 1, a must for the collector of early ordnance.

6.6” ammunition was not studded, but had a gas check plate attached to the base. The shell is not typical of British produced ammunition of the period in my opinion. The larger studs would require non standard riffling. The rough base moulding without markings and the wide, flat nose are not typical of British ammunition. If the orange paint is original, which it appears to be, that is typical of paint on early Prussian/German ammunition. I have a similar, smaller calibre projectile with the same studs which I am yet to identify.

David ibbertson himself told me he believes it to be a very early version of the British 6.6 inch gun shell