This is a very good example of the Confederate 3-Inch Read shell used in 3-In. Rifles. This is the “bourrelated” Read pattern using a raised ring at the shoulder and the base that obviated the need to machine the entire length of the shell to narrow tolerances while on the lathe. The underside of the base shows the expected lathe dimple from the turning. The fuze is missing from the nose, but the shell retains its high convex copper or brass ring sabot that was designed to expand to take the rifling of the bore. The sabot is complete and shows the “safety groove” at the top, under the lower edge of the shell’s body, intended to prevent the ring from chipping the base of the shell when it expanded at the firing of the gun.

The body of the shell is a deep brown, showing just over-all even, shallow corrosion and scaling. The sabot has only minor dings, preserves grooves from turning, is nicely toned by age and shows just some scattered small spots of verdigris. The edge of the fuze hole shows some minor chipping. These were fuzed with paper time fuzes, at first using wood adaptors and then shifting to copper beginning in Spring 1863. Dickey & George note the majority are from Army of Northern Virginia sites with a few still showing up in 1864 contexts.

Please see our photos and consult Melton & Pawl, and Dickey & George, among other sources, for further information on Read projectiles, their manufacturers, types, and variations. This displays very well and merits a place in any CS ordnance collection.  [sr][ph:L]

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