BRITISH 2.72 INCH 12 POUNDER WHITWORTH SHELL

BRITISH 2.72 INCH 12 POUNDER WHITWORTH SHELL

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$1,695.00

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Item Code: 2026-533

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Known as the Whitworth pattern I, sub-pattern II, explosive shell. This hexagonal spiral rifled artillery projectile was of Sir Joseph Whitworth’s design and is of English manufacture. These projectiles had no sabot and utilized a brass screw in fuse. It is standing exactly 9 inches tall and weighs in at 11 pounds 9 ounces. As with typical English manufacture, a slight ring is visible approximately 1 inch down from the nose. The fuse is missing from this example and the threads are heavily rusted, indicating it has been gone for a very long time. It is possible that this is a fired specimen, as it was noted that the iron shell walls were too thick to break open during ignition, forcing the fuse out the front.

The Whitworth cannon employed a breechloading gun with hexagonal rifled twist that was more extreme than other conventional rifling systems. The result was that projectiles fired from a Whitworth rifle would achieve faster spiral and greater range.

Whitworth cannon shells were often notorious during the Siege of Petersburg (1864–1865) for producing a distinct and terrifying sound. This sound was so unique that Union troops learned to identify when a Whitworth was firing at positions.

This weapon system was not accepted by the English government and so all production was exported. Most of it to the Civil War in America on both sides. The cannons were difficult to manufacture and the shells and guns required more precision machining than was typically practiced at the time. Production was very limited and few actually made it into the field of battle. Resulting in a scarce civil war artillery projectile. [stp][ph:L]

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