Possible CW artillery shell

[jamesbibb]

Looking for opinions on this ball
This was Not dug

It measures app. 28" around with a tape
Which makes the diameter 8.9 ish
The threaded "fuze" hole is just under 1.5" across and has a resting shoulder within

I weighed the ball on an accurate scale and it weighs 67.1 lbs empty

To me I think this is a 9" dahlgren shell designed to take a navy water cap fuze but I want to be sure as it would an amazing find for me. I've dug field artillery and am quite familiar with it but not so much on these bruisers.

Thanks!!

 

[Red James Cash]

Me thinks its a shell from a mortar.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

James, your guess is correct... it is a 9"-caliber US Navy roundshell, manufactured for use with the Navy's "Watercap" (waterproof) brass adapter-plug for paper timefuze. It would have been fired from the Navy's 9" Dahlgren Shellgun, which was the most common type of cannon on US Navy warships during the civil war. I should mention, the US Army did not possess any 9"-caliber cannons.
Ridgeway Civil War collection Artillery shells, Smoothbore balls 9 inch.

Because you said the ball in your photos was not dug, here is additional info:
The US Navy continued to use their 9" Dahlgren Shellguns for about 30 years after the end of the civil war. When the Navy finally retired the last of its smoothbore cannons, a significant amount of the leftover cannonballs for them was donated for use on civil war monuments. The webpage linked above shows a fuze-less 9" Dahlgren roundshell like yours, which has weld-spots on it from being mounted with others on a monument.

I should also mention, your 9"-caliber roundshell is approximately 99.7% likely to be a yankee-made one. The Confederates never manufactured any 9"-caliber cannons, but they captured a few from the Yankees, and therefore the Confederates did make some ammunition for those few.

 

[jamesbibb]

Thanks PG
for the confirmation on that ball
We all truly appreciate your infinite wisdom on these topics
Now for the task of preservation!

 

[Davers]

Where was it acquired ? If you don't mind...
Davers

 

[jamesbibb]

In a scrap pile stuck to a hunk of concrete

 

[DigIron2]

James, your guess is correct... it is a 9"-caliber US Navy roundshell, manufactured for use with the Navy's "Watercap" (waterproof) brass adapter-plug for paper timefuze. It would have been fired from the Navy's 9" Dahlgren Shellgun, which was the most common type of cannon on US Navy warships during the civil war. I should mention, the US Army did not possess any 9"-caliber cannons.
Ridgeway Civil War collection Artillery shells, Smoothbore balls 9 inch.

Because you said the ball in your photos was not dug, here is additional info:
The US Navy continued to use their 9" Dahlgren Shellguns for about 30 years after the end of the civil war. When the Navy finally retired the last of its smoothbore cannons, a significant amount of the leftover cannonballs for them was donated for use on civil war monuments. The webpage linked above shows a fuze-less 9" Dahlgren roundshell like yours, which has weld-spots on it from being mounted with others on a monument.

I should also mention, your 9"-caliber roundshell is approximately 99.7% likely to be a yankee-made one. The Confederates never manufactured any 9"-caliber cannons, but they captured a few from the Yankees, and therefore the Confederates did make some ammunition for those few.

What a nice piece ,I was getting ready to ask where the fuse was.Them coastal artillery shells must be pretty rare even if yankee??

 

[Davers]

In a scrap pile stuck to a hunk of concrete

Great & Lucky save then.

Wish I could afford your front 4 line of detectors.
Good Luck
Davers