Question about barshot...again

M ELEY · 3rd May 2009, 07:25 AM

Thank you so much, Jim, for responding to this obscure question. Actually, as always, you did an amazing job! I hadn't thought about the rifling on the barrels starting around this period. Dunce cap for me-

The book reference you mention gets to the heart of my question. Scoffern mentions the "dumbell appearance" of the barshot, but this doesn't pin-point the type of barshot. A dumbell can have both rounded "cannon shot" ends, half shot ends or flat disc ends. Alas, the one I saw that appears like it might be barshot and of this period has the disc ends. Likewise, its bar is tubular. All of the disc-type barshot I have seen thus far have been mounted on a square bar, not rounded. So the question remains as to whether it's a real piece of artillery or just a dumbell.
Thank you for helping me close the date of when these type items became obsolete (Naval ordenance seemed to always linger long past it's time. i.e.cutlasses, pikes, etc). I might have to pick up that reference. Again, my thanks, old friend!

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3rd May 2009, 07:25 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,164	Thank you so much, Jim, for responding to this obscure question. Actually, as always, you did an amazing job! I hadn't thought about the rifling on the barrels starting around this period. Dunce cap for me- The book reference you mention gets to the heart of my question. Scoffern mentions the "dumbell appearance" of the barshot, but this doesn't pin-point the type of barshot. A dumbell can have both rounded "cannon shot" ends, half shot ends or flat disc ends. Alas, the one I saw that appears like it might be barshot and of this period has the disc ends. Likewise, its bar is tubular. All of the disc-type barshot I have seen thus far have been mounted on a square bar, not rounded. So the question remains as to whether it's a real piece of artillery or just a dumbell. Thank you for helping me close the date of when these type items became obsolete (Naval ordenance seemed to always linger long past it's time. i.e.cutlasses, pikes, etc). I might have to pick up that reference. Again, my thanks, old friend!