Davidelgy Posted 9 January , 2014 Share Posted 9 January , 2014 Were any made from lead or from anything that looked like lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 9 January , 2014 Share Posted 9 January , 2014 They were made of lead antimony. 1 part antimony and 7 parts lead (or 1 to 4). There were also balls (officially, bullets) made of cast iron and of steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 9 January , 2014 Share Posted 9 January , 2014 That information is in the '1915 Treatise on Ammunition'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 9 January , 2014 Share Posted 9 January , 2014 Approx 40 balls to a pound (lb); very heavy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidelgy Posted 10 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 10 January , 2014 Thanks very much.The reason i asked was because i bought a few little packets of shrapnel balls ( 2€ a packet including a shell casing ) from Le Tommy Cafe at Pozieres and a lad i work with told me lead wasn't used in shrapnel balls in WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 10 January , 2014 Share Posted 10 January , 2014 Connaught Ranger is right about the number per pound, and they are the ones probably most commonly found, but it depended on the shell so for example a 60pdr shrapnel might have bigger balls, 35 to 37 to the pound, the 4.7inch QF had 14 per pound. Here is a picture of 5 different sizes I have found. It is very difficult to tell the difference between the nationalities unless they are found with the shells, I believe all these to be British except the 2 on the bottom are German steel balls. The proper term for them (before the pedants jump in) is ''bullets'. But commonly called shrapnel balls. I hope you got several hundred for your 2 euro. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidelgy Posted 13 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2014 A couple of 303 bullit casings and around 25 shrapnel balls for € 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted 15 January , 2014 Share Posted 15 January , 2014 I note that the number of shrapnel bullets in a British 18 pounder shrapnel shell, according to my grandfather's notebook, is 375. One gun had available to it, in ready ammunition and at first line, enough shells to dispense 66,000 shrapnel bullets. That number not only brings home the awesome power of artillery but also indicates that there has been phenominal price inflation over the last 100 years! Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIRKY Posted 15 January , 2014 Share Posted 15 January , 2014 Anyone heard of shrapnel balls made of clay and covered in lead? tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 15 January , 2014 Share Posted 15 January , 2014 No, tell us more Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIRKY Posted 15 January , 2014 Share Posted 15 January , 2014 someone showed me a larger than average ball supposed to be a shrapnel ball off the Somme, it was clay inside and lead on the outside, larger than usual shrapnel ball we find in the fields. tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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