Has paper-patching ever been successfully used with rifled cannons?

I was wondering whether this would actually work on larger calibers, which typically don't use ductile metals.

The only example I'm aware of would be the Schenkl projectile, which was made of cast iron, but that was a considerably thicker papier-mache sabot, rather than a thin layer to engage the rifling.

Attachment 263050

Would a simple patch not work with the cast iron shell?
I guess it wouldn't expand and provide additional obturation, but shouldn't patching to groove diameter suffice for that?


In other words, is a relatively soft metal essential to making a functioning paper-patched projectile?

I don't know the answer to your question but do you know how well the Schenki projectile worked. That is an interesting set up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Cash

I don't know the answer to your question but do you know how well the Schenki projectile worked. That is an interesting set up.

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Federal Schenkl 3.67-inch

U. S. NAVAL SCHOOL, EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL

Leave it to you, One Eye. You always have a handle on this stuff. Perhaps we should start a fact of the day quiz.

It's handy to have some minor Civil War battlefields close at hand. A couple of them with pretty good musuems. But having a guy who builds museum grade, live fire cannon in Ashland who is an authority on how they were crewed and shot is really handy.

It is with some sadness to note that Marshall Steen died last February.

The old time Schutzen riflemen awore by paper patching. Their accuracy is and was astonishing.

That appears to be a reversal of the original Minnie design that had a plug in the tapered hollow base. It should work well as the Paper machete will expand on the tapered base sealing and gripping the rifling. And set up like in the picture was an early rebated boat tail

I have a good friend who made his own civil war cannon, it's to scale about 2.5 in. bore that he rifled himself, he made his own molds, and swage his bullets, about 2 years ago he started to paper patch them , his accurate to over 900 yds 55 gal drum.

I have wondered if this approach might work for a boattail lead bullet. Something to prevent the boattail from obduration during rapid acceleration.

It can be done even with a swaged rebated cup based 1/20 alloy. Nothing exotic base protection needed. That is a bullet shot with my .40-70 Shiloh.

Attachment 263585Attachment 263586

Yes the paper is pushed up the cone and provides a tight seal. The lower the angle the more it will push against the rifling. that is a neat design

wasnt a wood sabot used during the war of the rebellion? seems i read about that in the past. the civil war?

Chemoman;

during the War of Northern Agression (1861 to 1865) nothing Civil about it, both sides used a wooden base on their cannon canister projectiles:

Canister shot consists of a closed metal cylinder typically loosely filled with round lead or iron balls packed with sawdust to add more solidity and cohesion to the mass and to prevent the balls from crowding each other when the round was fired. The canister itself was usually made of tin, often dipped in a lacquer of beeswax diluted with turpentine to prevent corrosion of the metal. Iron was substituted for tin for larger-calibre guns. The ends of the canister were closed with wooden or metal disks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canister_shot