Originally Posted by
Remise
First, though, I am not an N-SSA member, but an infantryman in a reenacting unit. So my knowledge of artillery is slight. Here is a question from a friend who is an historical buff, that it was suggested to me someone here might be able to answer. He once attended a test-firing of Civil War artillery pieces at Aberdeen, and saw what he notes below:
"My recollection is that the rifling gave the shot pattern a "left twist" when compared to the uniform pattern from a smoothbore gun.
I can't find my data on the shot pattern. Do you know anybody who does live fire exercises with canister from a 3" ordnance rifle? I've got a friend with a 3" rifle; but he doesn't do canister due to the wear on the rifling.
I'm curious because the Union cavalry's flying batteries at Gettysburg were all armed with 3" rifles."
Thanks very much for any enlightenment that might be available on this subject.
B.C. Milligan
That was the problem with the 3" Ordnance rifles, The Canister round was much less effective due to the smaller size (2.9 -3.0 "bore vs a 4.62 bore of a 12Lb Napoleon) and yes the rifling spin did affect the pattern of the "shot". Even the Caseshot and Common Shell were much less effective compared to a Napoleon. But the 3" was an accurate gun for Counterbattery fire as its range compared to a smoothbore could not be beat.
Daryl Noonan
NSSA # 14002
12th Regiment US Regular Infantry
"You see in this world there are two types of people my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig!!"
Bookmarks