read shell?...in north carolina

**binman** · Feb 19, 2010, 11:17 AM

my first post...found this in middle of a street in downtown greensboro,nc about 20yrs ago...thought it was a sledgehammer head at first...weighs 11+ lbs...7.5" X 2.5"...very rusty and chips easily...a read shell perhaps??help with i.d.?...thanks...

**littleneckhalfshell** · Feb 19, 2010, 09:53 PM

first off, I don't think so, but you can never tell with rust. A picture of the top and bottom would help.
However I think the Read Shell was in the 7-8 lb range and you say yours weighs 11 lbs. Is there a sign of a fuse? or even a hole for one? Google Confederate Read Shell and you can see pictures. Not sure what you have, but it does not look like a Read to me.

**vayank54** · Feb 19, 2010, 10:01 PM

It'd s bit hard to tell what it is from the pic but I agree it isn't a read.

**binman** · Feb 20, 2010, 11:13 AM

thanks guys...before my orig. post my on-line research led me to believe there were different versions(wts, etc.) of the read...mine most closely resembles the read but i am a complete novice so here are more photos...my camera sucks at close-ups so my apologies...just in case i have handled it carefully over the yrs(kaboom!)...first one is blunt end...next is rounded end...last shows possible remnents of sabot?(ring is bout 1/3 to 1/2 way from nose end) and ring at base(hard to see in photo)...its so rusted i can't see a fuse hole(where should i look?)...maybe it "is" a sledgehammer head but i'm not gonna try it out (again kboom!)...also although the blunt(tailend) end looks convex in last pic, it is flat(blunt)...

**binman** · Feb 25, 2010, 02:10 PM

...after remeasure(3.3ish X 7.5 and still 11+lbs) and research i'm thinking maybe a "selma"...any input?...after educating?? myself i think what i was calling a sabot is really a bourrelet ring(of which it has remnents of at base and 1/3 to 1/2 distance from nose)...any inputs?...thanks!

**vayank54** · Feb 26, 2010, 08:31 PM

As wide as the ring is in the first pic. I can't really see that as being a shell. I could be wrong though. It might be best to take it to a relic dealer or to a relic show and have it looked at in person. Sorry I can't be of more help on this.

**binman** · Feb 27, 2010, 06:35 AM

thnks vayank54...i'll take it somewhere as you suggest...if it is a shell its a poor example anyway...it is so deteriorated(and it continues to flake) that my thought was metal had been lost from the ring back to rear and to nose...again thanks...

**vayank54** · Feb 27, 2010, 11:24 PM

Cool Let us know what you find out. I'm not sure where Greensboro is but if your piece could have been exposed to salt water that could cause the rough condition and I believe the flaking. I hope someone can give you some good news on it.