Also known as: identifying projectiles.
| Method | Caliber, body form, cavity, sabot, fuzing, markings, and condition |
|---|---|
| Principle | Weigh several features together |
| Caution | A single feature should not control an attribution |
Reading the projectile
Identifying an artillery projectile combines several kinds of evidence: its measured caliber, the form of its body and cavity, the construction of its sabot or driving band, its fuzing, any markings, and its fired or unfired condition. No single feature should control the attribution when others are missing.
Compared against known systems and the reference galleries, these features place a projectile as smoothbore or rifled, solid or explosive, and often attribute it to a maker or pattern. Because a projectile may be live, identification must never be done by disassembly.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- Hackley, Frank W. Civil War Explosive Ordnance. Revised November 10, 1960. U.S. Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: patents, manuals, catalogues, and reference pages.