WWI US 3" Shrapnel Shell Case
Item #: AA3291
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This is a US 3" steel shrapnel shell case used during World War I. The shell case is 8 1/2" in length and 3.8" in diameter. The 75mm field gun was used to fire these projectiles. The shrapnel shell was named after Major General Henry Shrapnel, a British artillery officer. His experiments with artillery shells in the 1780's led to the development of this particular type of shell. Originally the shells were hollow, round cast iron balls filled with lead balls and gunpowder. A timed fuse was used to ignite the powder inside the cast iron ball and expel the lead balls along the shells line of flight. By the time WWI began the shrapnel shell had been refined to a steel cone shaped case with a time fuse in the nose. A brass tube in the center ran the length of the shell, transmitting the ignition flash of the time fuse to a gunpowder charge in the base of the shell. The steel shell case could withstand the force of the gunpowder charge, and caused the balls to be shot out the front of the case much like a shotgun shell. This shell has been fired, and there is no fuse or any other contents of the shell left inside. The copper driving band used to stabilize the shell in flight has the marks of the guns rifling, and the primer has been struck. I have no history of where this shell came from, but it will make a very nice addition to any WWI artillery collection.
Shipping Weight:
6 lbs
Item # AA3291
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