Also known as: cannon ammunition, ordnance projectiles.
| Scope | Cannon, howitzer, mortar, and related crew-served ammunition |
|---|---|
| Primary division | Smoothbore and rifled-bore projectiles |
| Functional division | Solid, explosive, case, anti-personnel, incendiary, and special-purpose |
| Key identification fields | Form, caliber, construction, sabot/band, cavity, fuze interface, markings, and provenance |
A functional taxonomy
The most durable top-level classification begins with the physical and functional form of the projectile: solid shot and bolts; explosive shell; case shot; canister and grapeshot; incendiary and special-purpose ammunition. Named inventor systems belong below those functional classes or connect to them as design families.
This prevents a common catalog problem in which a maker or patent name is mistaken for the physical object type. A Hotchkiss shell remains both a shell and a Hotchkiss-system projectile; a Hotchkiss solid shot belongs to a different functional class even though it shares the design family.
Identification evidence
Identification should combine measured diameter, weight when safe and appropriate, body profile, cavity form, sabot or expanding-band construction, fuze opening, surviving markings, fired condition, and documented find or collection history. No single feature should control an attribution when critical components are missing.
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- Benton, James G. A Course of Instruction in Ordnance and Gunnery. 2nd ed. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1862.
- Hackley, Frank W. Civil War Explosive Ordnance. Revised November 10, 1960. U.S. Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.
- United States Military Academy Ordnance Museum. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Ordnance Museum at West Point.