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Old 3rd May 2009, 04:14 AM   #2
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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Hi Mark,
I will be the first to admit I know absolutely nothing about artillery, nor especially its ammunition, but the difference is, I will at least try to discover something to say on it. I simply hate seeing posts that go unanswered!
So I have tried to use the limited resources at hand. According to what I can see, barshot is mentioned in descriptions of Civil War artillery, but so far I cannot see evidence of its use. Since the most common cannon on both sides was the Napoleon 12 pounder smooth bore, it would seem that it might have been used in one of these. There were other random smoothbores, and of course the rifled guns would not use this type of ammunition obviously.

In "Projectile Weapons of War and Explosive Compounds", John Scoffern, 1852, p.118, "...bar shot is similar to a dumbbell and its effects must be obvious to everyone. We need not observe however that its flight must be very irregular, and that it is totally unadapted for long ranges, indeed, so questionable are its advantages that it is now no longer used in our service".
The reference notes the same status for chain shot.

By 1902, the "New International Encyclopedia" refers to barshot as 'formerly' used in naval warfare to destroy masts and rigging.

Without more detailed references to artillery and ordnance, I can only presume that with the advent of rifled guns at mid 19th century, and the notes in these resources suggesting obsolescence of these types of weapons, that they would no longer be produced. In some references it was suggested that these were relatively ineffective as anti personnel weapons, and as ships after the Civil War in naval service relied little on sails, as well as smoothbore guns, I do not see why these would still be produced. Though piracy still employed rigged sailing ships, unless they had acquired obsolete smoothbore weapons and whatever minimal stocks of these from surplus stockpiles, it would be surprising for these to have been used even in those cases.

While piracy of course, as seen in recent news, still prevails, it is an entirely different type of enterprise, as certainly are the weapons.

I hope this is of some use, and though you are far more well versed in naval warfare, I just wanted to add what I had found.

All the best,
Jim
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