Shrapnel ID and Brass/Copper Whats It

[Kiros32]

Shrapnel ID and Brass/Copper What's It

Both of these were found in a field where I have pulled many CW relics before, and the only other things found in this field have been farm equipment related iron.

The first object is shrapnel of some sort, but I was hoping to ID the type. The shape and fuse threads remind me of a parrot shell. Any idea what this would be from?

The second object is brass I think, but could be copper. The bottom has a small hole, and it looks like it has been bent in on both sides. Any ideas on this one?

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

Re: Shrapnel ID and Brass/Copper What's It

The second item looks like some sort of electrical wire-connector. If so, it's probably made of copper. Do a small scratch-test on the folded section to see if it's brass, or copper.

The first item does look like a fragment from the "nose" of a civil war artillery shell. Its exterior curvature indicates it could be either a Parrott (US), or a Read Long-model shell (CS). The fuzehole threading on both was 12-threads-per-inch. There's another way to distinguish those types from each other, but your frag is probably too small for that test. The typical Parrott's threaded fuzehole is approximately 1.10" in diameter. The typical Read shell's threaded fuzehole is approximately .98" in diameter. (Minus all the rust/dirt-concretion, of course.) But if not enough of the fuzehole is present, you can't get a decent estimate of the fuzehole's diameter.

Please post a couple more photos, to give us additional "cross-sectional" views of the curvature. By "cross-sectional" I mean "as if the shell had been sawed in half, lengthwise." Here's an example photo.

 

[Kiros32]

Re: Shrapnel ID and Brass/Copper What's It

Thanks for the info. I am leaning toward the Reads shell since according to battle maps, the only artillery involved in this skirmish was Lowrys Battery from Virginia.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Shrapnel ID and Brass/Copper What's It

The second item looks like some sort of electrical wire-connector. If so, it's probably made of copper. Do a small scratch-test on the folded section to see if it's brass, or copper.

The first item does look like a fragment from the "nose" of a civil war artillery shell. Its exterior curvature indicates it could be either a Parrott (US), or a Read Long-model shell (CS). The fuzehole threading on both was 12-threads-per-inch. There's another way to distinguish those types from each other, but your frag is probably too small for that test. The typical Parrott's threaded fuzehole is approximately 1.10" in diameter. The typical Read shell's threaded fuzehole is approximately .98" in diameter. (Minus all the rust/dirt-concretion, of course.) But if not enough of the fuzehole is present, you can't get a decent estimate of the fuzehole's diameter.

Please post a couple more photos, to give us additional "cross-sectional" views of the curvature. By "cross-sectional" I mean "as if the shell had been sawed in half, lengthwise." Here's an example photo.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Re: Shrapnel ID and Brass/Copper What's It

Thanks, Crusader, for your thumbs-up Confirmation that it's an electrical connector. Always good to see a thumbs-up, coming from long-time diggers.