4-Inch Iron Cannonballs

Artifacts at the RCA Museum come in all shapes and sizes, even 4-inch iron cannonballs. We recently displayed two standard cannonballs at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. Both ‘solid shot’ and ‘shell shot’ were standard munitions for the 9-pounder smooth-bore in the 19th century.

A solid shot, also called a round shot or a ball, was made of metal, usually iron. The museum example is composed of iron and weighs approximately nine pounds. Its mass and velocity caused the damage, smashing through obstacles such as enemy fortifications, transport, or soldiers. When fired at the enemy, it could bounce along the ground, tearing through columns of infantry. The diameter of the solid shot was less than the diameter of the gun, creating windage, which caused the fired round to rattle through the barrel and exit at random angles from the target.

A shell shot, also called a shell or bomb, looks the same as a solid shot but has the centre removed. Our example is iron, weighing approximately six pounds, 2/3 the weight of a solid shot due to having 1/3 of the core removed. Gunners also made the shell from bronze, lead, brass, or glass. They filled the core with explosives, most commonly gunpowder. The shell was attached to a 1/2-inch wooden board called a sabot, which they placed down the barrel first, ensuring the explosion occurred at the intended interval. The shell deployed a slow-burning fuse that ignited after firing the gun. Gunners designed the shell to explode when it reached its target, scattering pieces of the shell casing or shrapnel over a wide area. This round proved effective against personnel and fortifications.

After Confederation in 1867, the Canadian militia deployed smooth-bore cannons, 6-pounders, and 9-pounders, with the standard munition being solid shot and shells. Other rounds included canister, grapeshot, and shrapnel. Solid shots were effective against the hulls of ships and fortifications, while shells were better for soft targets such as infantry columns and artillery positions. Solid shots created localized impacts on targets, while shells created broad areas of dispersed damage. For example, solid shots were excellent at reducing stone walls to rubble, while shells were good at causing injuries to multiple columns of enemy soldiers.

During the Fenian Raids in the 1860s, British and Canadian Gunners employed various types of ammunition in the field: solid shots for defensive targets such as stone walls and shell shots for soft targets such as enemy formations. The Gunners’ ability to choose ammunition based on the tactical situation played a vital role in their success during the raids.

These early cannonballs were the forerunners of modern ordnance used today. These cannonballs, including solid shot and shell, are a testament to the ingenuity and skill of the men who used them. The collection of cannonballs on display offers a fascinating glimpse into the early days of the Canadian Gunner.