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, Mullane (Confederate)

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. 

A1849     Mullane bourreleted long nose shell, Type I copper sabot, wood fuse, Confederate rifle, 3 in. 
 
Bourreleted Mullane shell. Shell is often rough cast with poor quality metal. Length of nose varies considerably and is partly the result of how much the nose was milled to accommodate the wood fuse. Type I sabot is copper disc held in place by three studs cast into the shell, held by a long center bolt, copper sabot was cupped and relatively loose. Performance of this shell was unsatisfactory, typically the sabot flew off on firing. Cast for a wood fuse. 
Metal shows modest pitting, rare to get fired example with sabot intact, this one is nice example showing clear rifling, wood fuse is missing. 
Recovered: central Virginia 
Diameter 2.94 inch, length 9 in overall (7 in exclude bolt & studs) 
Ref: D & G pg. 203 (long nose, long bolt, cupped sabot with wood)  

A1517    Mullane bourreleted long nose shell, Type I copper sabot, wood fuse, Confederate rifle, 3 in. 

Bourreleted Mullane shell. Shell is often rough cast with poor quality metal. Length of nose varies considerably and is partly the result of how much the nose was milled to accommodate the wood fuse. Type I sabot is copper disc held in place by three studs cast into the shell, held by a long center bolt, copper sabot was cupped and relatively loose. Performance of this shell was unsatisfactory, typically the sabot flew off on firing. Cast for a wood fuse. 
Metal shows modest pitting, rare to get fired example with sabot intact, this one is nice example showing the distress of firing, wood fuse is missing. 
Recovered: central Virginia 
Diameter 2.94 inch, length 9 in overall (7 in exclude bolt & studs) 
Ref: D & G pg. 203 (long nose, long bolt, cupped sabot)

A2009     Mullane bourreleted short nose shell, Type I copper sabot flush mounted, wood fuse, Confederate rifle, 3 in.
 
Bourreleted Mullane shell. Shell is often rough cast with poor quality metal. Length of nose varies considerably and is partly the result of how much the nose was milled to accommodate the wood fuse. Type I sabot is copper disc held in place by three studs cast into the shell, held by a short center bolt, copper sabot was fastened flush with the bottom. Performance of this shell was unsatisfactory, typically the sabot flew off on firing. Cast for a wood fuse.
Wood fuse, partially intact along with all three studs, center bolt and sabot with rifling partly bent up from firing.
Recovered: Richmond, Va
Diameter 2.94 in., length 8.0 in. (6.5 in exclude bolt & studs)
Ref: D & G pg. 203 (short nose, short bolt, flush mounted)      

A1850     Mullane bourreleted short nose shell, Type I copper sabot, wood fuse, Confederate rifle, 3 in. 
 
Bourreleted Mullane shell. Shell is often rough cast with poor quality metal. Length of nose varies considerably and is partly the result of how much the nose was milled to accommodate the wood fuse. Type I sabot is copper disc held in place by three studs cast into the shell, held by a long center bolt, copper sabot was cupped and relatively loose. Performance of this shell was unsatisfactory, typically the sabot flew off on firing. Cast for a wood fuse. 
Metal is superb, casting mold seam is very visible, rare to get fired example with sabot intact, this one showing 7 lands and grooves, wood fuse is missing. 
Recovered: Spotsylvania, VA 
Diameter 2.94 inch, length 8.0 in overall (6.5 in exclude bolt & studs) 
Ref: D & G pg. 203 (short nose, long bolt, cupped sabot) 

A1852     Mullane smooth sided short shell, flush mounted sabot, Confederate rifle, 3.5 in. 

Smooth sided short Mullane shell. Type I sabot is copper disc held in place by three studs cast into the shell, held by a short center bolt, copper sabot was fastened flush with the bottom. Cast for a wood fuse. 
Fired sabot shows 7 straight lands and grooves, wood fuse missing, strong metal with light pitting. 
Recovered: Fredericksburg 
Diameter 3.45 inch, length 7 inch 
Ref: D & G pg. 211 

A1851         Marshall Arsenal smooth sided shell, 4 stud Mullane sabot, wood fuse, Confederate rifle, 3 in.
 
This is Mullane pattern made at Marshall Arsenal, four brass studs were cast into the sabot, copper sabot affixed with a center bolt. This is a rare pattern, example of pattern in a different caliber is shown D&G pg. 213. Cast for a wood fuse. 
Fired example, sabot separated leaving the studs sheared in the body of the shell, wood fuse is missing, solid metal light pitting. 
Recovered: not known 
Diameter 2.85 in., length 7.0 in exclude bolt & studs 
Ref: D & G not listed (see pg. 213 for pattern in different caliber)

A1754   Tennessee (Mullane) Type II sabot, long shell - Confederate Brooke rifle, 6.4 in.
 
Tall shell with bourrelet rings, sabot is heavy copper disc, type II with studs in the disc. Archer percussion fuse (Jones pg. 62) 
Confederate copper fuse sleeve only, sabot intact It is rare to find one of these shells with a sabot, metal solid moderate pitting. 
Recovered: Charleston, SC defenses 
Diameter 6.3 inch, length 12.5 inch, 
Ref: Kerksis & Dickey pg.136, See Bell pg. 426 for pattern different caliber.
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, not listed 

A1644    Tennessee (Mullane) Type II sabot, long shell, Archer percussion fuse, Confederate Brooke rifle, 7 in.

Tall shell with bourrelet rings, sabot is heavy copper disc, type II with studs in the disc. Archer percussion fuse (Jones pg. 62) All examples recovered were on a Confederate iron clad that ran aground on Trent's Reach in the James River. About 80 heavy shells were tossed into the water, about 10,000 pounds and this was just enough to get the ship off the ground! 
Unfired sabot fully intact, fuse intact is removable, excellent metal. 
Recovered: Trent's Reach, James River Va 
Diameter 6.95 in, length 16 inch 
Ref: Bell Heavy Ord, pg. 429