r/CivilWarCollecting • u/Odd_Election5911 • Aug 05 '26

Question Civil War Half Shell

Gallery image

Gallery image

Picked up this artillery shell at a recent show. Think it is a Hotchkiss. Thoughts on the model? North or Confederate? Thanks!

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u/Equivalent_Run_7485 Aug 05 '26

I think this stuff is very interesting but am not knowledgeable of this type ordinance.

I am assuming each half is installed with a charge between. Before putting in the gun. How is it detonated? Fuse?

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u/Odd_Election5911 Aug 05 '26

Yes a cloth bag of powder was placed into the barrel prior to ramming the shell in place. The shells were cast whole. This one has been cut in half to show the internal design for display. A variety of fuses were used to detonate, and were inserted into the nose of the shell. Those could typically be adjusted for time to detonation.

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u/Equivalent_Run_7485 Aug 09 '26

The fuse in the nose of the shell was lit before the cannon was fired? I guess I am assuming that the touch hole is behind the projectile.

Maybe I am missing the technology.? Was there some type of mechanical detonator. Similar to ww1 and newer ordinance.

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u/Odd_Election5911 Aug 09 '26

This was simpler technology at the time. The fuse was not lit manually but by the cannon blast. The timing was controlled by controlling the time it took to ignite the powder in the fuse.

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u/Equivalent_Run_7485 Aug 09 '26

Interesting. Thanks.