Civil War Grapeshot Projectile

Rare Civil War grapeshot projectile. Cannon charge consisting of small round balls of iron, and used primarily as an antipersonnel weapon. Typically, the small iron balls were held in clusters of three by iron rings and combined in three or more tiers by cast iron plates and a central connecting rod. At the closest range, zero to 200 yards, the grapeshot would be fired directly into the enemy lines. Grapeshot consisted of 16 or more, 1 1/2 to 2 ounce iron balls stacked and affixed to an iron base or sabot that fir the bore of the gun. Complete.