British 3.5-inch 1861 Britten Segmented Case-Shot - Rarity 9+

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Item: British 3.5-inch 1861 Britten Segmented Case-Shot - Rarity 9+
Gun: 12-pounder Blakley rifle, 3.5-inch caliber.
Fuzing: Britten percussion fuze.
Approximate size: Weight: 12 pounds. Diameter: 3.44 inches. Length: 7-1/8 inches overall.
Condition: Very good, excavated, fired, deactivated. The iron surface of the shell is very smooth with minimal pitting and a very light layer of clear coat. There is a very narrow freeze crack that runs longitudinally along the iron portion of the shell that, according to Peter George, co-author of "Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War", follows one of the cast-in lines of weakness in the shell interior. The Britten percussion fuze assembly is present however the "fuze stock" and "dome anvil cap" are modern replacements. The "striker" (slider) with nipple is an original example which has been added to the device. The "dome anvil cap" has left hand threads which necessitates its removal by turning clockwise instead of counterclockwise due to British threading standards. The original lead sabot is intact and nicely shows seven lands and grooves from the cannon rifling. 
Recovered: Unknown.
Reference: A similar 3.5-inch Britten segmented case-shot shell is pictured in:

  • "Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War", by Thomas S. Dickey and Peter C. George on page 117.

See above page in the additional images.

Comments:  According to the above-mentioned artillery reference book, this Britten shell has a rarity of 9+ which, on a scale of 1-10 with 10 the rarest, makes it quite rare. They were brought over from England by blockade runners to be used by the Confederacy. Few made it through and therefore few are field recovered. According to "Introduction To Field Artillery Ordnance 1861 - 1865", by Jack W. Melton, Jr., and Lawrence E. Pawl, page 102, the Britten shell "was patented by Bashley Britten, British patent #585 dated March 8,1861, for segmented interior construction. The interior has nine long wedges of iron with lines of weakness cast in each wedge. Ideally, the bursting charge broke the long wedges into 54 small fragments, and the outer shell body into fragments as well." 

The best aspect of this Britten shell is the fact that its fuze assembly can be disassembled for educational purposes. This example will be an excellent addition to any excavated Civil War artillery or general relic collection.

Product Code:
PC11679

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