Expert: Ralph Salier - 5/11/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have an 8 pound, about 4 inch dia, cannon ball that I thought was solid. During cleaning with steel wool, I found a brass plug on one side, straight across from what appears to be a slight bulge on the other side. These are perpendicular from the casting flash lines. In the casting line there was also about a 1/16dia perfectly round hole. Can you assist me in identifying it? No idea where it originated ( Ebay ). Can I send a photo?

ANSWER: Hi Dyer,

It sounds like you have a percussion cannon ball from the US Civil War.  The brass plug is the detonation pin which would have been screwed into place prior to firing.  The other hole is for the fuse.  This cannon ball would have been filled with black powder AND MAY STILL CONTAIN IT which could make this object very dangerous!! I should NOT be exposed to heat as this could cause it to explode.  

This is a dangerous potentially live piece of ordnance.  I would recommend that you remove it from your home,  Contact your local police department and if they have a bomb squad, they may be able to assist you in opening it up, emptying it out of anything hazardous and that way you can keep the shell.  They may hold on to the pin.

They may ask you where you got it as it is illegal to ship such items in the US mail.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Interesting.....I was going to use it for the top of a stair rail newell and drilled out and tapped the 1/16 hole. I drilled way over halfway into the ball and it was solid from that direction....
Did I just happen to go through where the ball was solid?


ANSWER: Hi Dyer,

It may seem solid but it may be solid packed with black powder and the heat from the drill could dry it out and it could catch on fire.  IN most cases, a 4" cannon ball has a 3/4 to 1" thick wall to create a lot of nasty sharpnel when it explodes.

Be very carful handling it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks again.....I checked the hole that I drilled ( about 5/16 and then tapped it so I could screw it on to the newell. The hole was definately just cast iron about 2 3/4 inches thru the 4 inch ball. I poured out a little of the residue mdrill metal and tried to light it to see if it was really powder, also, later picked up the residue with a magnet. The brass is about 5/16 dia.... is this fuse-sized?
Thanks again for all your inputs.
Dyer

Answer
Hi Dyer,

From you initial description, I would have expected it to be hollow with a wall thickness of about 3/4 to 1" thick.  This one sound like it was a solid cast with a hole drilled into it for a firing pin.  These often just fizzeled since the mass as to great to make it explode or even concuss.  The hollow ones were more like a grenade.  It is probably safe in this case.  Enjoy your new newell.