Need Help Identifying an Artillery Shell Fragment

[Civil War Geek]

I bought this artillery shell fragment from a collector who dug this up in the 1970s in the Vicksburg area. It is the base cup section of an artillery shell. It is smooth all the way around and rounded on the bottom. It does have an indention. It has a width of 4 1/8. Does anyone know what projectile this came from?

 

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[civilman1]

Looks like the base of a Hotchkiss shell. Nice!

 

[RustyRelics]

Base cup from a big a$$ Hotchkiss! Man, that's pretty big, I'm not sure what kind of gun fired it.

 

[fyrffytr1]

It might be this one.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/civil-war-union-5-siege-rifle-1797192301

 

[Civil War Geek]

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't know Hotchkiss shells got that big. It could be closer to 4.5 inches which would match up with the one you found on worthpoint. About every size shell was probably used on Vicksburg.

 

[Civil War Geek]

It may also be from a 30 pounder; I'll be able to measure it better when I get back from my trip.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Civil War Geek's guess (he said may be") is correct. That Hotchkiss shell base-cup's diameter measurement (4-&-1/8th-inches) proves it can onlt be from a 4.2"-caliber ("30-pounder") Hotchkiss shell.

Also... Vicksburg is one of the VERY few places where 30-pdr. caliber (4.2"-caliber) Hotchkiss shells got used in combat. Sorry, Civil War Geek, but your other guess, saying "probably," is incorrect... no 4.5"-caliber rifled cannons were present at Vicksburg.

We know those are Facts, because legendary US Nat'l Park Service Historian Ed Bearss wrote an exhaustively detailed study on the artillery armament employed by both sides at Vicksburg. Once upon a time, you could buy a copy of it at the NPS's Vicksburg Park. Interested people might give the park's Visitor Center a call.

 

[Force_of_Iron]

Civil War Geek's guess (he said may be") is correct. That Hotchkiss shell base-cup's diameter measurement (4-&-1/8th-inches) proves it can onlt be from a 4.2"-caliber ("30-pounder") Hotchkiss shell.

Also... Vicksburg is one of the VERY few places where 30-pdr. caliber (4.2"-caliber) Hotchkiss shells got used in combat. Sorry, Civil War Geek, but your other guess, saying "probably," is incorrect... no 4.5"-caliber rifled cannons were present at Vicksburg.

We know those are Facts, because legendary US Nat'l Park Service Historian Ed Bearss wrote an exhaustively detailed study on the artillery armament employed by both sides at Vicksburg. Once upon a time, you could buy a copy of it at the NPS's Vicksburg Park. Interested people might give the park's Visitor Center a call.

Your citing the guns used at Vicksburg reminded me of this so I recalled this photo.

I was travelling and met a gentleman at a gun show. I ended up at his house later in the week for a visit.

Sitting in the living room was this little enigma. A authentic 21" mortar shell sitting on a very old base citing that it was fired in the Siege of Vicksburg. This gun was built in the civil war but no record of this gun exists saying it was fired in combat.

The only shells known to exist all sit in couple of parks on the east coast and they are all solid shot. This ball was a charged explosive shell at one time.

Another mystery for the pile.



Sorry for the thread hijack

 

[Force_of_Iron]

Try again, don't know why it went sideways. Cropped it

 

[A2coins]

Good I'd. Very nice buy

 

[civil_war22]

Is the base rounded or conical, or just flat? Also is it 4 1/8 in from side to side on bottom, or around the circumference of the bottom of the frag? Let me know, I’ve got my artillery book with me today with every dang piece of artillery shell used in the CW including ones the CS modified

 

[civil_war22]

Try again, don't know why it went sideways. Cropped it
View attachment 1780626

Dear god, can you imagine seeing that big behemoth hurling through the air or the streets towards you. That would be a Miley Cyrus “wrecking ball” moment for sure.

 

[civil_war22]

Civil War Geek's guess (he said may be") is correct. That Hotchkiss shell base-cup's diameter measurement (4-&-1/8th-inches) proves it can onlt be from a 4.2"-caliber ("30-pounder") Hotchkiss shell.

Also... Vicksburg is one of the VERY few places where 30-pdr. caliber (4.2"-caliber) Hotchkiss shells got used in combat. Sorry, Civil War Geek, but your other guess, saying "probably," is incorrect... no 4.5"-caliber rifled cannons were present at Vicksburg.

We know those are Facts, because legendary US Nat'l Park Service Historian Ed Bearss wrote an exhaustively detailed study on the artillery armament employed by both sides at Vicksburg. Once upon a time, you could buy a copy of it at the NPS's Vicksburg Park. Interested people might give the park's Visitor Center a call.

Well what we do know about Hotchkiss is that they were not only lethal to enemies, but also could cause friendly fire issues due to the pieces coming apart as they either directly exited the cannon or soon after it became airborne.