Description

This display cannon will suit any desk, bookshelf, or War-themed room. Made of solid metal and only 4 inches by 6 inches, it also makes a great gift for any young Johnny-reb who has an interest in the War Between the States.

History of the parrot barrel cannon:

Parrot rifles saw extensive service in both Federal and Confederate batteries throughout the war. Southern States like Virginia purchased 10-pounder parrots from the West Point Foundry just before secession. After the war began, many U.S. Parrot rifles were captured at 1st Manassas. Tredegar Foundry in Richmond, Virginia also produced copies.

The U.S. Army adopted the Parrot rifle as the first rifled artillery for the service in May of 1861. Name for their inventory, former army ordnance officer Robert Parker Parrot, these rifled guns were produced at his West Point Foundry in Cold Springs, New York, just across the Hudson River from the U.S. Military Academy.

The Parrott rifle had a cast iron barrel with a distinctive wrought iron reinforcing band shrunk around the breech end of the tube, a process patented by Parrott. Cast iron gun tubes were easy and inexpensive to produce which enabled Parrott to quickly fill government contracts. A disadvantage of cast iron was that the metal did not always withstand the stress of repeated firings. Some guns burst at the muzzle injuring gun crews. Model 1861 10-Pounder Parrott rifles had a 29-inch diameter bore and a slight muzzle swell. In 1863 the muzzle swell was eliminated and the bore enlarged to 3 inches. This was done to reduce stress at the muzzle and to achieve ammunition compatibility. with other 3-inch guns then in service.

With a charge of one pound of gunpowder, 10-pounder Parrot Rifles fired elongated case-shot projectiles or explosive shells with an effective range out to 2000 yards, well over a mile. Case-shot projectiles were always rime fused to burst in the air and rain shrapnel on the enemy. Shells could be time fused or fitted with percussion fuse to explode on impact. Canister rounds could be used against enemy infantry within 200 yards. Solid show was seldom used in these guns.