Also known as: Hotchkiss percussion fuse.
In the Half Shell Book: This subject is treated in Civil War Artillery Projectiles: The Half Shell Book, p. 17.
| Class | Percussion fuze |
|---|---|
| Action | Fires the charge on impact |
| Association | Hotchkiss line of rifled ammunition |
Impact fuze for the rifle
The Hotchkiss percussion fuze was one of the impact fuzes made for rifled shell, part of the same line as the Hotchkiss projectiles. On striking the target, an internal plunger was driven onto a primer, firing the bursting charge.
Percussion fuzing suited the rifled shell's use against works, ships, and hard targets, where a burst on impact was more effective than a timed air-burst.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- Hackley, Frank W. Civil War Explosive Ordnance. Revised November 10, 1960. U.S. Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: fuze references, manuals, and reports.