A cannon chainshot

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 05:27 AM

Hello folks. I've been away from the Forum for a while after some family issues, but I wanted to post again on a new addition to my pirate/maritime colletion. Here we have a piece of chainshot late 18th/early 19th (?) century. The piece measures approximately 12" long with each ball approx 8" in diameter. As most know, these ordenance were specifically made to take out sails, spars and ropes/rigging on enemy ships. They could be used offensively to slow the craft you are trying to board or defensively to disable a pursuing enemy.

I wanted to go into a little more detail on these pieces from what I have learned through research over the years. Chainshot is in a 'family' of unique items for the above said purposes of dismantling a ship's movement. Other members from this grouping include barshot, which are two cannonballs attached by a square bar (variations of this pattern include two half cannonballs and bar, called 'angels', wedge-shaped bars, two balls with two bending bars allowing for motion/spinning, two disc-shaped weights with attached square bar, etc), spike shot and spider shot. Spider shot consisted of a base with hinged expanding baldes that sprung open in flight. Here are some early pics of different types of shot-

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 05:30 AM

The earliest type of specialty shot I have come across dates back to the Elizabethan times and consisted of a cannonball with a spike driven through it, as in this one on the left. Some spike shot had spiked projectiles protruding from both ends of the ball, however-

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 05:38 AM

One can began to realize just how much rarer these types of shot were compared to typical cannnballs. They were made mostly for shipboard use with rare exception, they often weren't recoverable and they were more difficult to forge. Obviously, they would have been used by navies, privateers and merchant class ships, but I wondered if pirates would have used such to capture a fleeing prize. My research showed that indeed the sea rovers did use them. On the wreck of the famous Whydah (Sam Bellamy's pirate vessel) were found multiple pieces of bar and chain shot, likewise the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's infamous ship. Here's a pic of bar and chainshot dating to the American Revolution-

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 05:45 AM

Although rare, on certain occasions, bar and chainshot have been used as anti-personnel weapons. Two famous incidences are noted during the English Civil War.

I attach Michael's amazing thread from times past here for more great info on these 'whirling instruments of disctruction'.

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 05:47 AM

Although rare, on certain occasions, bar and chainshot have been used as anti-personnel weapons. Two famous incidences are noted during the English Civil War.

I attach Michael's amazing thread from times past here for more great info on these 'whirling instruments of disctruction'.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=chain+shot

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 05:57 AM

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...non-chain-shot

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...non-chain-shot

https://www.bidsquare.com/online-auc...in-shot-782352

https://www.alexautographs.com/aucti...hot_03246C395F

M ELEY · 31st May 2022, 04:31 PM

On a final note, forgot to mention that chainshot were always smaller than the muzzle of the cannon they were being fired from. The difference in size was reduced by wrapping the projectile in sailcloth. The cloth would shred on firing, allowing the chains to unfurl. Many types of chainshot pieced together to form a full 'ball', allowing for insertion into the cannon tube, but again would spread out like a net when fired. Both chain/bar/spike and spidershot were inaccurate at long range, but effective when closing in on the target. Judging for how long this ordenance was around, they must have been quite useful for taking out sails.

It is my personal oppinion that they probably ceased being manufactured shortly after the first quarter of the 19th century (official end of Age of Fighting Sail despite masted ships still seeing combat i.e. CW blockage runners,British merchant ships attacked in Malay islands, etc). Although used up until mid-late 19th, my suspicions is that those later uses were from surplus ordenance. With maritime weapons, this was an extremely common practice, seen with re-issued cutlass, boarding axes and pikes (the latter still seen on some WWI vessels!!)

Will M · 31st May 2022, 04:40 PM

Interesting projectiles and ferocious looking. Here is a 24 lb solid ball and marked so you know who sent it to you. Fired in 1760 at an island fort near Montreal.

31st May 2022, 05:27 AM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	A cannon chainshot Hello folks. I've been away from the Forum for a while after some family issues, but I wanted to post again on a new addition to my pirate/maritime colletion. Here we have a piece of chainshot late 18th/early 19th (?) century. The piece measures approximately 12" long with each ball approx 8" in diameter. As most know, these ordenance were specifically made to take out sails, spars and ropes/rigging on enemy ships. They could be used offensively to slow the craft you are trying to board or defensively to disable a pursuing enemy. I wanted to go into a little more detail on these pieces from what I have learned through research over the years. Chainshot is in a 'family' of unique items for the above said purposes of dismantling a ship's movement. Other members from this grouping include barshot, which are two cannonballs attached by a square bar (variations of this pattern include two half cannonballs and bar, called 'angels', wedge-shaped bars, two balls with two bending bars allowing for motion/spinning, two disc-shaped weights with attached square bar, etc), spike shot and spider shot. Spider shot consisted of a base with hinged expanding baldes that sprung open in flight. Here are some early pics of different types of shot- Attached Images

31st May 2022, 05:30 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	The earliest type of specialty shot I have come across dates back to the Elizabethan times and consisted of a cannonball with a spike driven through it, as in this one on the left. Some spike shot had spiked projectiles protruding from both ends of the ball, however- Attached Images

31st May 2022, 05:38 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	One can began to realize just how much rarer these types of shot were compared to typical cannnballs. They were made mostly for shipboard use with rare exception, they often weren't recoverable and they were more difficult to forge. Obviously, they would have been used by navies, privateers and merchant class ships, but I wondered if pirates would have used such to capture a fleeing prize. My research showed that indeed the sea rovers did use them. On the wreck of the famous Whydah (Sam Bellamy's pirate vessel) were found multiple pieces of bar and chain shot, likewise the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's infamous ship. Here's a pic of bar and chainshot dating to the American Revolution- Attached Images

31st May 2022, 05:57 AM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	Closed auctions more chainshot https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...non-chain-shot https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...non-chain-shot https://www.bidsquare.com/online-auc...in-shot-782352 https://www.alexautographs.com/aucti...hot_03246C395F Last edited by M ELEY; 31st May 2022 at 06:13 AM. Reason: Added comment

31st May 2022, 04:40 PM	#8
Will M Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: In the wee woods north of Napanee Ontario Posts: 391	Interesting projectiles and ferocious looking. Here is a 24 lb solid ball and marked so you know who sent it to you. Fired in 1760 at an island fort near Montreal. Attached Images

31st May 2022, 05:45 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	Although rare, on certain occasions, bar and chainshot have been used as anti-personnel weapons. Two famous incidences are noted during the English Civil War. I attach Michael's amazing thread from times past here for more great info on these 'whirling instruments of disctruction'.

31st May 2022, 05:47 AM	#5
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	Although rare, on certain occasions, bar and chainshot have been used as anti-personnel weapons. Two famous incidences are noted during the English Civil War. I attach Michael's amazing thread from times past here for more great info on these 'whirling instruments of disctruction'. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=chain+shot

31st May 2022, 04:31 PM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	On a final note, forgot to mention that chainshot were always smaller than the muzzle of the cannon they were being fired from. The difference in size was reduced by wrapping the projectile in sailcloth. The cloth would shred on firing, allowing the chains to unfurl. Many types of chainshot pieced together to form a full 'ball', allowing for insertion into the cannon tube, but again would spread out like a net when fired. Both chain/bar/spike and spidershot were inaccurate at long range, but effective when closing in on the target. Judging for how long this ordenance was around, they must have been quite useful for taking out sails. It is my personal oppinion that they probably ceased being manufactured shortly after the first quarter of the 19th century (official end of Age of Fighting Sail despite masted ships still seeing combat i.e. CW blockage runners,British merchant ships attacked in Malay islands, etc). Although used up until mid-late 19th, my suspicions is that those later uses were from surplus ordenance. With maritime weapons, this was an extremely common practice, seen with re-issued cutlass, boarding axes and pikes (the latter still seen on some WWI vessels!!)