Also known as: concussion fuse.
In the Half Shell Book: This subject is treated in Civil War Artillery Projectiles: The Half Shell Book, pp. 11-12.
| Class | Concussion |
|---|---|
| Action | An internal weight is thrown against a primer by shock |
| Frequency | Least common of the four fuze classes |
Operation
A concussion fuze used inertia rather than a burning train or a simple nose plunger: the shock of firing or of impact threw an internal weight or ball against a primer, igniting the bursting charge. Because the mechanism was sensitive and comparatively complex, concussion fuzes were the least common of the four Civil War fuze classes.
Surviving concussion fuzes are identified by their internal weight-and-primer arrangement and body form; as with all recovered fuzes, they must be regarded as potentially live.
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.
- Hackley, Frank W. Civil War Explosive Ordnance. Revised November 10, 1960. U.S. Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.