Cannonball Guy Help Needed to ID

[the_great_waldo]

I found this piece of Civil War artillery lead sabot in the Gettysburg area.

Can you tell me what kind of shell it might have come from based on what looks to be a small piece of shell still in it?

 

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[DCMatt]

Waldo,

I certainly not the expert like TCBG, but this doesn't look like a shell fragment to me.

Good luck with your ID.

DCMatt

 

[Davers]

Sorry I can not id for you.
Don't know my Artillery , as I never have found a Complete Shell.
I have dug Frags And a Good Size Sabot Piece in the past.

Your piece has the right patina & came from a historic area.

How big Is it?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I'm certain that it is a blown-off piece of the lead sabot on a civil war era Hotchkiss artillery shell. Based on comparing its size with your fingers, I estimate it to be from a 3-inch caliber shell. A small portion of the shell's wedge-shaped iron base-cup "lip" is stuck in the edge of your Hotchkiss lead sabot fragment. The photo below shows a sawed-in-half civil war 3"-caliber Hotchkiss shell. You'll probably be able to spot the base-cup's wedge-shaped lip under the lead sabot in that photo.

 

[the_great_waldo]

I'm certain that it is a blown-off piece of the lead sabot on a civil war era Hotchkiss artillery shell. Based on comparing its size with your fingers, I estimate it to be from a 3-inch caliber shell. A small portion of the shell's wedge-shaped iron base-cup "lip" is stuck in the edge of your Hotchkiss lead sabot fragment. The photo below shows a sawed-in-half civil war 3"-caliber Hotchkiss shell. You'll probably be able to spot the base-cup's wedge-shaped lip under the lead sabot in that photo.

As always thank you for your help and your willingness to share your knowledge. What is interesting to me is to be able to put my finds into a historical perspective. With your help identifying the types of fragments I have found on a piece of property on the first day's field at Gettysburg I know what batteries they came from. All recovered on private property with permission.