Case-shot

In the U. S. service, a case-shot is a hollow cast-iron projectile filled with musket-balls. The projectile has thinner walls than the ordinary shell. To fill it a tube is inserted in the fuze-hole, the balls are introduced, and melted sulphur or rosin is poured in to fill up the interstices and keep the balls in position. When this has solidified the tube is withdrawn, leaving a vacant space for a small bursting charge. This description answers for the two kinds used,—the spherical case for the 12-pounder smooth-bore and the oblong case for rifle guns. Case-shot should be burst in the air a short distance in front of the troops fired upon. Time-fuzes are, therefore, used with both; the Bormann-fuze for the former, and the paper fuze for the latter. In Europe this ammunition is called shrapnel , from the inventor. There the term case-shot is applied to what is called in the United States canister ,—that is, a thin case filled with bullets, used for short range without fuzes, the case being disrupted in the gun.