![]() The use of lead shot in smaller firearms rose steadily through the 16th and early 17th centuries. Most of the shot in the Mary Rose (sank 1545) is large cast iron shot, representing some of the earliest cast iron in Britain but there is also smaller lead shot in this wreck, along with the famous longbows. Lead shot was introduced for both for small arms and larger weapons in the mid 15th century, although its use in artillery was superseded in the 16th century by iron (and occasional stone). ![]() In addition, the shot may have lost weight through corrosion or damage, particularly impact damage. It can also be useful to record a minimum diameter, which can help to assess the damage caused to the bullet either through impact or (for multi-ball loads or case shot) through flattening while firing.Īir bubbles, uncleaned sprues and mis-matched mould halves can all add or remove metal. The maximum diameter of spherical shot should represent the intended size of the bullet, but may be less reliable than the weight. The weight is vital, as this gives you the size of the shot (the bore or the calibre) and therefore a good chance at identifying the weapon that it came from. Feel free to use both terms in the Description field, where they will help in searching. The terms ‘musket ball’ and ‘cannon ball’ are both easily understood, but not much used by modern experts. As a result, PAS recorders can use both terms in the Description field, but please use SHOT in the object term field. Shot is a collective term (as in ‘a ton of shot’) but is harder to use for a single object ‘this shot is 12mm in diameter’ sounds odd. ![]() Both ‘shot’ and ‘bullet’ were used interchangeably in the 17th century. The nomenclature of ammunition is difficult. To keep all of the moulds for casting shot retrievable, please use BULLET MOULD for these rather than just ‘mould’. The best one for our purposes is SHOT, so please use this in the Object Type field for all types of projectile, whether from small arms or artillery.Īlthough most ammunition from small arms is under 25mm in diameter and under 60g in weight, there is a continuum of sizes right up to large cannon balls of perhaps 4 to 6 inches (100-150mm) in diameter and several kilos in weight.īecause there are so many terms for shot, some associated items are also hard to name and to search for. The mda thesaurus has a variety of object types under the broad term ‘ammunition’. A short separate section on artillery shot (cannon balls) can be found below. Most of the shot recorded by the PAS is from small arms, and so this guide concentrates on these. ![]() It has drawn heavily on a guide for FLOs produced by Amy Downes (FLO South and West Yorkshire) and on a guide to recording battlefield assemblages produced by Glenn Foard ( Foard 2009 – download the pdf here). This guide covers a variety of types of shot or ammunition, including cannon balls, musket balls and bullets. 10.1 Alternative identifications for iron and stone balls. ![]()
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