Also known as: Blakely shell.
In the Half Shell Book: This subject is treated in Civil War Artillery Projectiles: The Half Shell Book, p. 187.
| Class | British rifled projectile (Confederate use) |
|---|---|
| Fired from | Blakely rifles |
| Forms | Shell |
| Common calibers | 3.5-inch and 4.0-inch, among others |
Description
The Blakely projectile was made for the Blakely rifle, the British gun that the Confederacy imported in calibers ranging from small field pieces to very heavy guns. Blakely projectiles are found chiefly as explosive shell, in sizes such as 3.5-inch and 4.0-inch among the calibers used in Southern service.
As with the guns, the projectiles came from British makers, and surviving examples are attributed by caliber and body form together with their association with the imported Blakely rifles.
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.
- Hackley, Frank W. Civil War Explosive Ordnance. Revised November 10, 1960. U.S. Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.
- United States Military Academy Ordnance Museum. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection.