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cannister vs grapeshot?
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SKS_madman
40 Cal.
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From what I know (very little, my expertise is in military guns of russian and ueropean origin) the grape shot is bound into a cyllinder with cloth into a certain shape and coated in glue to hold that shape. Whereas the canister shot is just loose in a glass jar.
From what I remember the canister was iron tube with a wood plug nailed to it filled with iron shot of 1-1/2 and packed with sawdust and a cap crimped on 12pdr had 27 or so ball's in it, range effectivness 200yds to 300 yds . Grape was a three tier stand like this, bottom plate shot another plate shot ,shot and a top plate with a rod down throught the middle and nut to hold it together . Another type had a bottom plate witha pin canvas sack around this and the grape poured into it and twine wrapped around it to keep it rigid now there maybe somthing else there i am missin hope this help's
Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
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Canister is a thin walled projectile (tin can) loaded with round balls (usually iron but sometimes lead). The front end was lightly fastened and on firing it would fly out of the container just like shot from a shotgun. Of course the tin can which was nailed to a wooden sabot came out as well. The number of balls varied with the caliber and type of gun and if used at close range the canisters could be doubled.
Grape is made up of larger balls than canister that are arranged in tiers between two plates secured together with an iron bolt running through the two and covered with burlap wrapped with a cord and sometimes coated with a lacquer or resin. Grape wasn't commonly used in field artillery in the CW. Canister was very common. I have the details of how these projectiles were made if you need them.
Canister was used up to 600 yds., but was most effective at 300 to 400 yds. It and grape both basically turned an artillery piece into a giant shotgun. For the best effect, the gunner would depress the cannon barrel so that the point of impact was well ahead of the advancing line so that the shot that was flying higher would strike the troops and the shot that was on the low side of the cone would ricochet off the ground and into the troops. That made the best use of all the shot. Plus, those balls that ricocheted would often hit stones and other objects and sometimes turn them into lethal projectiles.
It gives a man more respect for those soldiers who had to face such a thing. I've read books where modern historians say that canisters burst in front of advancing troops and showered them with balls. This couldn't be further from the truth. Canister and grape broke apart at the discharge of the cannon and came out just like a shotgun load. Case shot on the other hand did have a charge in it which exploded and caused the shell to rupture and spray lead or iron balls (sometimes even Minie Balls). Shrapnel was simply a hollow shell with a powder charge and the shell itself (no balls) caused the damage. There was a modern version of the canister round used in Viet Nam called the "Beehive" round in which a canister was loaded with an explosive charge which blew it apart after flying so far and gave a more precise directional burst of fragments. You VN vets can probably explain this better than me. I don't have much info on it.
To make a long story short (oops, sorry, too late!) canister and grape are different in construction, but operate on the same principles and are both devastating weapons.
:grey: :blue: :m2c:
Grape is made up of larger balls than canister that are arranged in tiers between two plates secured together with an iron bolt running through the two and covered with burlap wrapped with a cord and sometimes coated with a lacquer or resin. Grape wasn't commonly used in field artillery in the CW. Canister was very common. I have the details of how these projectiles were made if you need them.
Canister was used up to 600 yds., but was most effective at 300 to 400 yds. It and grape both basically turned an artillery piece into a giant shotgun. For the best effect, the gunner would depress the cannon barrel so that the point of impact was well ahead of the advancing line so that the shot that was flying higher would strike the troops and the shot that was on the low side of the cone would ricochet off the ground and into the troops. That made the best use of all the shot. Plus, those balls that ricocheted would often hit stones and other objects and sometimes turn them into lethal projectiles.
It gives a man more respect for those soldiers who had to face such a thing. I've read books where modern historians say that canisters burst in front of advancing troops and showered them with balls. This couldn't be further from the truth. Canister and grape broke apart at the discharge of the cannon and came out just like a shotgun load. Case shot on the other hand did have a charge in it which exploded and caused the shell to rupture and spray lead or iron balls (sometimes even Minie Balls). Shrapnel was simply a hollow shell with a powder charge and the shell itself (no balls) caused the damage. There was a modern version of the canister round used in Viet Nam called the "Beehive" round in which a canister was loaded with an explosive charge which blew it apart after flying so far and gave a more precise directional burst of fragments. You VN vets can probably explain this better than me. I don't have much info on it.
To make a long story short (oops, sorry, too late!) canister and grape are different in construction, but operate on the same principles and are both devastating weapons.
:grey: :blue: :m2c:
Pretty correct on your description of case, cannister, and grapeshot. You did forget to mention that grape shot came in many different sizes thruought history.
One of my favorite books on the buccaneers has a period illustration of a sea battle, and it shows a row of grapeshot in front of an injured pirate, the balls ranged from golfball to fist size.
Grape shot has two purposes, to blow holes thru enemy sails and rigging as well as to put large holes in the enemy vessels seamen. Case was just a stamdardization of the old practice of filling a swivel gun with every piece of broken metal and glass the crew could find on ship.
One of my favorite books on the buccaneers has a period illustration of a sea battle, and it shows a row of grapeshot in front of an injured pirate, the balls ranged from golfball to fist size.
Grape shot has two purposes, to blow holes thru enemy sails and rigging as well as to put large holes in the enemy vessels seamen. Case was just a stamdardization of the old practice of filling a swivel gun with every piece of broken metal and glass the crew could find on ship.
capnwilliam
40 Cal.
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Great summary, Kanawha! :applause:
Are you with a CW artillery group? My wife and I shoot with a Baratarian group (1815) and I'm getting my gear and garb together to join Boone's Louisiana Battery (CW).
Capt. William
Are you with a CW artillery group? My wife and I shoot with a Baratarian group (1815) and I'm getting my gear and garb together to join Boone's Louisiana Battery (CW).
Capt. William
Tumblernotch
69 Cal.
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Thanks! No, I started out in '74 with Chapman's Monroe Battery, VA Light Artillery, but spent almost all of my reenacting career in the infantry. I did attend an artillery instruction camp back in '86 and served as a Number 2 with Carpenter's Battery at one event. I'll always be infantry at heart, but I've always had an interest in field artillery. If I was ever to start back into reenacting, I would probably try to join a battery. No more double-quicking for me!
And Bezoar, I guess I should have said that there are different sizes of grapeshot. There are several. The same goes for canister. I have the tables that show the different sizes, etc. as well as the guns they went with. I don't have any info on Naval artillery, but plenty on field, siege and heavy guns.
:grey: :blue:
And Bezoar, I guess I should have said that there are different sizes of grapeshot. There are several. The same goes for canister. I have the tables that show the different sizes, etc. as well as the guns they went with. I don't have any info on Naval artillery, but plenty on field, siege and heavy guns.
:grey: :blue:
