Confederate Adjutant General button	The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!) I am a collector buying and selling authentic Civil War Relics
	This page updated   April 03, 2008

The Ridgeway Civil War reference archive 
Artillery shells, Britten
(British import for the Confederacy)

This is a sampling of relics collected by Harry Ridgeway over the years.  This archive record is for educational purposes only.  Some of the relics listed may be on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester Virginia, some are no longer owned by the author.  None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to the separate sales catalog for items that are currently offered.

All artillery items listed  have been disarmed and rendered inert. 

A1856    Britten segmented case shot, lead cup sabot, threaded for unknown fuse, Blakely rifle, 2.9 in. 

English manufactured, interior is segmented for improved fragmentation. It is cast for threaded fuse, however no metal fuse has ever been recovered with this shell, so presumed to have actually used a wood fuse, lead cup sabot. 
Fired sabot shows 7 lands & grooves, metal quality good with light pitting. This one actually has remnants of the wood shipping plug inside the nose, this explains why none have the fuse, they were fired with the shipping plug! 
Recovered: Helena Arkansas 
Diameter 2.9 inch, length 5.25 inch 
Ref: D & G pg. 110 

A1857     Britten bolt, Lead cup sabot, Vavasseur gun, 3 in.
 
English manufactured for the Confederacy, None of these shells made it to the field, all were lost on the blockade runner Georgiana which was sunk off the coast of South Carolina. 
Salt water damaged the outer skin, metal is weak.
Recovered: blockade runner Georgiana 
Diameter 2.9 in., length 6 in. 
Ref: D & G pg. 112

A1858     Britten star cavity shell, Lead cup sabot, Britten lead time fuse, Vavasseur gun, 3 in. 

English manufactured for the Confederacy, with star shaped interior for superior fragmentation. None of these shells made it to the field, all were lost on the blockade runner Georgiana which was sunk off the coast of South Carolina. Fuse was lead sleeved time fuse, (Jones pg. 75 bottom left) 
Salt water damaged the outer skin, this half shell cut shows the interior. 
Recovered: blockade runner Georgiana 
Diameter 2.9 in., length 6 in. 
Ref: D & G pg. 113 Half shell      

A0032    Britten bolt, lead cup sabot, Blakely 12 pounder gun, 3.5 in.

English manufactured, lathe mark on nose, lead cup sabot. 
Fired sabot shows 7 lands & grooves. Metal strong, pitting is bad metal from manufacture, which is unusual for these English shells. 
Recovered: Kennesaw Mountain, GA 
Diameter 3.4 inch, length 6.0 inch 
Ref: D & G pg. 115 

A1524    Britten shell, lead cup sabot, Britten percussion fuse, Blakely 12 pounder gun, 3.5 in. 
 
English manufactured, interior is segmented for improved fragmentation, lead cup sabot. High domed Britten percussion fuse, early pattern (Jones Pg. 72) 
Fuse fully intact, fired sabot intact shows 7 lands & grooves, metal quality is excellent light pitting. 
Recovered: Seven Days Battle, Virginia 
Diameter 3.4 inch, length 6.5 inch 
Ref: D & G pg. 117 

A0139    Britten bolt, lead cup sabot, rifled 12 pounder, 4.62 in.

English manufactured, lathe mark on nose, lead cup sabot. 
Unfired & nondug metal quality is outstanding. 
Recovered: surplus stocks 
Diameter 4.55 inch, length 7.3 inch 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 143

A0140    Britten shell, threaded for unknown fuse, lead cup sabot, rifled 12 pounder, 4.62 in.

English manufactured, lathe mark on nose, threaded for fuse but none have been found with fuse, lead cup sabot. 
Unfired & nondug metal quality is outstanding, fuse missing 
Recovered: surplus stocks 
Diameter 4.55in, length 7.6 inch 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 144