3.67-inch Delafield Projectile

State of New York

Delafield

DIAMETER: 3.61 inches
GUN: Delafield banded iron rifle, 3.67-inch caliber
LENGTH: 9 3/16 inches
WEIGHT: 13 pounds 2 ounces
CONSTRUCTION: Shell
SABOT: Malleable cast iron
FUZING: Parrott zinc fuze plug, paper time fuze

This projectile, along with a corresponding rifled cannon, was developed by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Delafield. He was Superintendent of the United States Military Academy located at West Point, New York, from 1838 to 1845 and again from 1856 to 1861. Lieutenant Colonel Delafield referred to this projectile as the "Delafield Malleable Shell." The malleable cast iron base of this projectile has five cast raised flanges that correspond to the Delafield cannon's rifling. A schematic drawing prepared by Delafield of his cannon is dated September 11, 1861. Thirteen of the Delafield banded iron rifles were delivered to the Commissary General of the State of New York on March 18, 1862. This specimen is often confused with the Federal 20-pounder Read-Parrott projectile. There have been no known combat finds of the Delafield projectile, and battlefield use is considered unlikely. To the authors' knowledge the Delafield projectile pattern was not manufactured as a solid shot.
The 3.67-inch caliber Delafield Malleable Shell is on the reader's left and the 20-pounder (3.67-inch caliber) Read-Parrott projectile is on the reader's right. Note the five distinct flanges on the deeply recessed malleable iron base of the Delafield projectile. The Read-Parrott has five pre-stamped projections in the wrought iron sabot that correspond to the five grooves of the 20-pounder (3.67-inch caliber) Parrott rifle. Another distinguishing characteristic of the Delafield projectile is that it weighs less than the 20-pounder Read-Parrott shell. These two projectiles are often confused with each other until the distinguishing characteristics noted here have been examined. Copyright Jack W. Melton, Jr.

Delafield and Read-Parrott

Comparison views

Delafield

Read-Parrott