Also known as: cannonball, solid round shot.
| Class | Solid projectile (smoothbore) |
|---|---|
| Construction | Solid cast-iron sphere |
| Effect | Battering and ricochet fire; no bursting charge |
| Designation | Sized by weight, as in 6-pounder or 12-pounder |
Role
Round shot was a solid cast-iron ball fired from smoothbore guns. Carrying no charge and no fuze, it did its work by momentum, battering masonry and materiel and cutting through ranks. Fired at a low angle across firm, level ground, it could ricochet in a series of bounds that extended its reach.
Guns were rated by the weight of the round shot they fired, so a 12-pounder gun took a roughly 12-pound ball. Round shot are distinguished from spherical shell by being solid throughout, without the cavity, bursting charge, or fuze seat of an explosive projectile.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- Melton, Jack W., Jr. Civil War Artillery Projectiles: The Half Shell Book. Blue Ridge, GA: Historical Publications LLC, 2018.
- 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.
- Gibbon, John. The Artillerist's Manual. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1860.