Also known as: rifled shell.
| Class | Explosive rifled projectile |
|---|---|
| Construction | Hollow body, bursting charge, fuze, and a sabot or band |
| Effect | Fragments on bursting |
Explosive projectile for rifled guns
The rifled shell brought the bursting projectile to the rifled gun. An elongated hollow body held a black-powder charge closed by a fuze, and a sabot or driving band at or near the base took the rifling to spin and seal the projectile in the bore.
The many rifled systems each produced their own shells, and the form of the sabot or band, the body profile, and the fuze seat are the features by which surviving rifled shells are identified and attributed to a maker or pattern.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- Hackley, Frank W. Civil War Explosive Ordnance. Revised November 10, 1960. U.S. Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.