French Studded Shell ID

[Burney Davis]

Below is a picture of three projectiles of the same design but different diameters. The larger projectile on the left is the more common one, diameter 3 1/4". The one to its left is 2 3/8" in diameter and the smaller one is 2 1/8" in diameter. Can anyone supply pictures or information about the two smaller projectiles?

The smallest has an unusual single stud in two places on the top row, what looks like a poorly struck 'M' on the body and a 'B' on the fuze. I'm not familiar with this type of fuze, which looks like an early concussion model. At first I thought it had been converted to a lighter but after close examination I think it is correct. Comments welcomed.

Many thanks

 

[greif]

The smallest one is a Dutch Navy shell. It is for a 5 cm muzzle loaded rifled canon, actual caliber 54 - 54,5 mm. The fuze is a percussion fuze. The central channel of the fuze body was filled with black powder. On top of the small tube sticking out a percussion cap was placed. It was fired with the brass cap in place.

 

[Burney Davis]

Many thanks Greif. So this would date from the 1860's perhaps? Do you know if this is a Dutch design or adopted by the Dutch from France or another country?

 

[greif]

Information on this canon is poor. Both gun and shell are mentioned in 1879 and 1881 listings. I was wrong about the caliber, that was 55 mm. The diameter of the shell was between 54 and 54,5 mm. The listing doesn’t mention a foreign manufacturer for this canon. It was a bronze canon so there is a great change it was made by the “Rijkswerf Amsterdam” (state arsenal) as many of the Dutch bronze canons were manufactured there.

 

[Burney Davis]

Thanks once again Greif.