Clodshot found in Kufstein Austria

[Raf]

I am sure someone will have made this observation before, but one interpretation of clod shot is that it is an early, and probably quite instinctual, appreciation of the principle of armour piercing munitions. When a lead ball hits a steel plate its first instinct is to flatten, therefore its kinetic energy is distributed over a wider area. Thus if it does succeed in penetrating the plate the hole is usually rather larger than the ball itself. With clod shot the iron core presumably doesn’t significantly deform, the same energy is concentrated on a smaller area, therefore more likely to penetrate the plate. The same principle was used in more modern armour piercing munitions where a hardened steel projectile is encased in a softer sabot one function of the sabot being to help stop the projectile being deflected when hitting an oblique target which was a problem with early armour piercing projectiles. The same principle would seem to apply to clod shot. The angular core might have been found to, or believed to, increase its armour piercing potential, if this interpretation is sound then it ought to be a useful dating guide for early battle sites where the presence of clod shot would imply a date where armour was still considered a viable defensive option. With the demise of armour and better gunpowder clod shot became redundant,

[Marcus den toom]

Hi Raf,

Michael has written a very good piece about clodshots in this thread http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=clodshot

He believed, an so do i, that the lead was mostly used to shoot iron "balls" from Brass cannons without wearing them down to fast. The softer lead would ease the wear on the barrel walls. The corners on the iron core where made to closely resemble a ball shape. The lead was most could have been wraped around the iron core, but also cast.. this debate i still not finished.

Best

[Pukka Bundook]

Raf,

I can well understand your thoughts on this, and it may be so.
Another point could possibly be that the iron ball could be made somewhat roughly, and when encased in lead, it could do no damage to the bore of the gun firing it. (like a lead sabot) whereas without it, it could tear the barrel up quite quickly.
Re. armour piercing;
I think that a ball this size, about 2 1/2" or so, it would make no difference whether it penetrated or not! If no penetration occurred, it would mangle and flatten any armour, And the individual wearing it!

Best wishes,
Richard.

Sorry Marcus, our posts overlapped!!

[Raf]

Of course your right . Makes no sense as an armour piercing projectile unless someone digs up a smaller version. Simply mis read Marcus ( very clear ) description. Still intrigued by the square cores. Reminds me of the interchangeable chambers of Mr Puckles quick - firing gun . Round bullets for Christians . Square bullets for the rest . One does wonder what put this idea into his head.

[Marcus den toom]

hahah, no problem Richard.

And Raf, as per request here are some iron core and stone core clodshot pieces from my collection.
The vary from 2-2,5cm.

[Raf]

Thanks Marcus . So to be absolutely clear the smaller iron cored projectiles have a diameter of around 2.5 cm , 1 inch imperial . About the bore of an average anti personnel hand - cannon of the period .

[Marcus den toom]

That is correct Raf
My own haquebut has a similar bore of about 22mm and many of my hand cannons have a bore up to 34mm.

[kronckew]

cool. the festung looks like it has had a number of upgrades since the above, with some more 'modern' emplacements and vauban style structures.

[fernando]

Raf's approach to the Puckle gun shows us an amazing angle of the bullet history.
Not yet knowing about it, i browsed the Net and i found in the Wiki such bizarre justification for his selection of different bullet shapes:

Puckle demonstrated two configurations of the basic design: one, intended for use against Christian enemies, fired conventional round bullets, while the second, designed to be used against the Muslim Turks, fired square bullets. The square bullets were considered to be more damaging. They would, according to the patent, "convince the Turks of the benefits of Christian civilization."...

Back to ancient clod shot, not only Marcus has the examples he shows us here but i am aware that he is also familiar with square or, better say, cylindrical whole lead bullets, which are also an interesting variant of these ancient projectiles.
The ones below are also very interesting, although not so intrincate as those initially shown.

And if i may digress a bit more ...
I bet you people are aware that although gunmakers only decided to change the bullets shape to a cylindrical and pointed design in the second quarter XIX century, there are drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci showing such idea.
I was also thrilled when a year ago i handled a fine flintlock musket with a square bore, something i thought to be only a fantasy. But i took it as just an exhibiting purpose of both gunmaker and customer, that not for practical reasons.

[kronckew]

add two sides and you get the whitworth hexagonal projectile used with hexagonal rifling. a design used up to the present (by Heckler-Koch). that makes a projectile suitable for christians and muslims