This is a rare Confederate 3" Mullane artillery shell designed to be used with a 3" ordnance rifle from the Civil War. These Confederate projectiles are sometimes referred to as the Tennessee Sabot round. This projectile is attributed to Captain Lardner Gibbon, although official recognition of this fact was never given. This shell uses a copper sabot that was held in place by three iron studs and a large center bolt. This design allowed the parts of different materials to be manufactured independently and assembled at the end of the manufacturing process. The shell has two bourrelets machined into the body of the shell. It measures 2.9" in diameter, 6 1/2" in length excluding the copper sabot and bolt and weighs 5.4 pounds. This type shell used a wood time fuze, and the fuze hole in the nose is tapered and not threaded. The fuze was hammered in place. The copper sabot is intact, but is quite distorted. This was a common failure with this pattern of shell. When fired, the studs and or bolt usually broke, allowing the sabot to cup or come off completely. This shell still has all three studs and the bolt. A groove has been filed into the bottom bourrelet and the copper sabot has a circular area filed out in an attempt to aid the flame upon firing to reach the fuze. The body of the shell has some ground action and has light pitting over the entire shell, but it has been stabilized. This shell is in fired condition, the excavation site is unknown. These very scare Mullane shells don't come along often, and you'll be hard pressed to find one in better condition. This one could be the centerpiece of your Confederate artillery shell collection!

Item # AA2977

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