Federal & Confederate
Conical Canister
This specimen was reconstructed to illustrate the interior view of a
standard 12-pounder (4.62-inch caliber) canister. Sawdust filled the spaces between
the 27 iron balls found in the pictured specimen. The iron canister
balls ranged from 1.46-1.49 inches in diameter and weighed approximately .43
pounds each. A complete non-excavated canister would weight 14 pounds. The tin sides are missing, as is the
wooden sabot. Note that the top plate is thinner than the bottom plate, which had to
absorb the initial discharge force during firing. This pattern of construction is
typical of both Federal and Confederate canisters. Go
here for a complete specimen.