Field Artillery of the American Civil War

The data below are for some of the most common field artillery of the American Civil War. Some explanation of ammunition types is needed.

Shell is a hollow round filled with gunpowder. It uses a timed fuse to detonate (ideally) just over a target, maximizing the concussive force. It was used primarily against fortifications and enemy artillery. Shell causes both concussion and fragmentation damage.

Shot is a solid round, primarily used by smoothbores against cavalry, infantry in column formation, or infantry taken by enfilade. This would (if fired properly) bounce through the formation like a bowling ball, shattering everything in its way. Rifled guns rarely used solid rounds ("bolt") in ground combat, since they couldn't be bounced. At sea, solid shot was more common for its increased penetration against ships. By the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, Union rifled artillery no longer carried bolts as a standard ammunition type.

Canister is essentially a giant shotgun round, generally with one-inch diameter shot packed into a thin sheet metal can. It would split upon firing, creating a spray immediately in front of the barrel and extending from the barrel per the standard burst rules. It inflicts only fragmentation damage.

Case is a hollow round filled with shot and a small bursting charge. It would be time fused (like shell) and was intended to burst about 5 yards above an enemy formation, scattering the shot. It has no concussive effect, but creates a fragmentation burst as per the standard rules.

Three gun carriages were used during the Civil War, all designed pre-war. The lightest carriage was for the M1841 6-pdr, and massed 409 kilograms. This carriage was used for all of the rifled pieces listed below. The second was for the M1841 12-pdr, and it massed 534 kilograms. The last was for the M1857 12-pdr, which massed 513 kilograms.

Smoothbore guns

M1841 6-pdr (9.3 cm)
Tube Weight: 402 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 137 Crew:8
Shell: C: 3 B: 11 Pen: 2C
Shot: D: 21 Pen: 2/1/1/1
Canister: D: 2/1 B: 69 Pen: 1-Nil
Case: D: 2/1 B: 24 Pen: 1-Nil

M1841 12-pdr (11.7 cm)
Tube Weight: 818 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 150 Crew: 8
Shell: D: 4 B: 14 Pen: 5C
Shot: D: 26 Pen: 3/3/2/1
Canister: D: 2/1 B: 75 Pen: 1-Nil
Case: D: 2/1 B: 30 Pen: 1-Nil

M1857 12-pdr "Napoleon" (11.7 cm)
Tube Weight: 558 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 138 Crew:8
Shell: D: 4 B: 14 Pen: 5C
Shot: D: 26 Pen: 3/3/2/1
Canister: D: 2/1 B: 69 Pen: 1-Nil
Case: D: 2/1 B: 30 Pen: 1-Nil



Rifled guns

6-pdr Wiard Rifle (6.6 cm)
Tube Weight: 330 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 211 Crew: 8
Shell: D: 2 B: 8 Pen: Nil
Shot: D: 15 Pen: 1/1/1/1
Case: D: 2/1 B: 17 Pen: 1-Nil

10-pdr Parrott Rifle (7.62 cm)
Tube Weight: 405 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 241 Crew: 8
Shell: D: 3 B: 9 Pen: 1C
Shot: D: 17 Pen: 2/2/2/1
Case: D: 2/1 B: 20 Pen: 1-Nil

10-pdr Ordnance Rifle (7.62 cm)
Tube Weight: 371 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 234 Crew: 8
Shell: D: 3 B: 9 Pen: 1C
Shot: D: 17 Pen: 2/2/2/1
Case: D: 2/1 B: 20 Pen: 1-Nil

12-pdr Whitworth Rifle (7 cm)
Tube Weight: 496 kg
Rld: 2 Rng: 292 Crew: 8
Shell: D: 2 B: 8 Pen: Nil
Shot: D: 15 Pen: 2/1/1/1
Case: D: 2/1 B: 18 Pen: 1-Nil

12-pdr Blakely Rifle (8.89 cm)
Tube Weight: 364 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 206 Crew: 8
Shell: D: 4 B: 11 Pen: 2C
Shot: D: 20 Pen: 3/2/2/1
Case: D: 2/1 B: 23 Pen: 1-Nil

14-pdr James Rifle (9.7 cm)
Tube Weight: 416 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 220 Crew: 10
Shell: D: 5 B: 12 Pen: 3C
Shot: D: 21 Pen: 4/3/3/2
Case: D: 2/1 B: 25 Pen: 1-Nil

20-pdr Parrott Rifle (9.3 cm)
Tube Weight: 795 kg
Rld: 3 Rng: 241 Crew: 10
Shell: D: 4 B: 15 Pen: 2C
Shot: D: 21 Pen: 4/4/3/2
Case: D: 2/1 B: 31 Pen: 1-Nil