When was the parrott rifle invented

To reinforce the gun and keep it from exploding, Parrott hot-wrapped a stout iron band around its breech, allowing it to shrink immovably in place as it cooled. He also received patents for a special fuse and sight for his rifles. The guns ranged in size measured by the weight of the projectile they fired from pounder field rifles to pounder monsters weighing up to 13 tons. The Parrott guns were conformed for use as fieldpieces typically and pounders and larger siege guns for the Army, as well as for service aboard Navy warships.

Around , a foot dock had been built, to accommodate deep-draft vessels on the Hudson. A crew loads a pounder Parrot rifle that has been mounted on rails during the proofing process. President Abraham Lincoln got to witness the proofing process firsthand when he traveled to West Point in June to meet with retired Army commander Winfield Scott.

After touring the foundry, Lincoln observed from the spotting tower as Superintendent Parrott oversaw a test-firing of and pounders. The barrel might simply explode at any point along its unreinforced section, or at the muzzle itself. And although the trademark iron band usually protected the crew from a ruptured breech, blowouts sometimes occurred at reinforced sections.

A platform in marshy earthworks in Charleston Harbor had to be built to elevate the gun, and for the first time in recorded military history a compass reading was taken to target the fire on the city at night.

Aware the gun had taken terrific punishment, the crew lengthened the lanyard, allowing them to fire from a safer position. After each round they would reenter the battery to swab and reload the massive piece. It proved to be a sagacious plan: With the 36th round the gun burst, blowing out the breech and knocking the cannon off its carriage. Four members of the crew were injured, though none seriously.

Not all artillerymen were so fortunate. When the U. But in the imprecise world of cast-iron weapons, Parrott guns usually worked remarkably well, and provided long and effective service. One pounder reportedly fired some 4, rounds before finally breaking down. Today its remains are on display at West Point.

The foundry, the sole manufactory of Parrott guns throughout the conflict, could not turn them out fast enough. For his time, he seems to have been a remarkably progressive and compassionate boss.

He owned a number of the row houses in which his employees lived, charging a modest rent. They also kept workers outside the union from reporting for work. His first rifled cannon design, a pounder , was turned out in and later patented in By the next year he had developed the and pounder versions.

To see a list of Parrott projectiles click here. Parrott's patents 33, and 33, are his first projectile patents. In , Parrott turned the operation of the foundry over to other parties, but he continued to experiment with projectiles and fuzes until his death on December 24, A September 7, issue of Scientific American has some information about Parrott worth reading. Read the politics of Admiral Dahlgren after Parrott offered four pounders for the Charleston Siege in the August 1, issue of Scientific American.

January 14, issues of Scientific American. Page Read Parrott's Obituary for additional information. I have had the honour to receive your letter of the 18th inst. Dyer of the 28th October last, which he requests may be sent to me that I may correct, if erroneous, some statements made in relation to the "Parrott projectile". Major Dyer apparently conceives that the plan of casting soft metal in the body of a projectile originated with him; he having proposed it to the Ordnance Department in the spring of , and having actually made and tried such projectiles.

The distinction here made between " soft metals" and "bronze" is a correct one, founded on the physical properties of metals and alloys, and the general understanding in regard to them. Thus, in the Ordnance Manual the directions are given for casting on the " soft metal" on Rifled projectiles, entirely inapplicable to bronze.

In reference to the claim of first proposing to cast a soft metal base on the body of a projectile, I enclose herewith the section of a projectile actually made and tried by me, to the order of another party in We succeeded about as well as the other attempts made at the same time; in some of them in that year Copper was used.

Major Dyer can hardly be aware of the multitude of attempts to extend the expansion principle to cannon as soon as it had succeeded in small arms. I should not envy him the task of maintaining the imaginary patent with which he thinks proper to invest his claim to have first suggested not only the casting of soft metal, but " ferro bronze" and all other metals and alloys capable of being cast on the body of a projectile.

I am willing to leave whatever I have done to be judged by its merits; and, though I have not pressed claims for orders or for compensation based in rights of innovation only, I believe I have brought into practical use valuable principles of Rifled Ordnance; and that my projectile can be identified by features which mark it as eminently original.

It is quite distinct from the Read [invented by Dr. John B. Read] projectile and is sustained by a patent of its own which was granted to me without question.

The Read projectile was brought to me by the inventor in ; encouraged by a somewhat favourable report of a trial made by Major Dyer at Fort Monroe and his reccommendation [sic] to the Chief of Ordnance that further trials should be made.

I purchased for this Foundry from the inventor the sole right of manufacture for the United States; and after numerous and costly trials, I devised in an improvement which I patented and under which all of these projectiles which were sold to the United States were made. They were exclusively used by the " Ricketts Battery " at Bull Run, and in very many cases did good service in the war, though not used in battle, as I believe one day earlier than the " Parrott projectile " which Major Dyer twice refers to as not having been made until some time after the breaking out of the rebellion.

The "Parrott projectile" was tried early in - was sent to Washington and Fort Pickens in May of that year on the Order of the Ordnance Department - April 30th, and is the only projectile I have ever furnished for the 30 Pdr and larger calibers. They were tried at the Washington Arsenal when under your command in June , and were in service at Bull Run.

But I have no further concern in this matter than to say that having noticed several instances in which attempts have been made by imitating more or less the construction of my projectile, to obtain some of the advantages which it has exhibited, I should doubt the justice of getting up a projectile by the aid of what I have already done , in order to deprive me of the fair reward of my labour and success.

I might point to numerous instances of the successful use of my projectiles but it can hardly be necessary.

I freely admit that a progressive improvement is not only to be expected but is demanded in this, as in all other practical subjects , but I can not believe that it will best be attained by depriving me of the credit and encouragement which I think are justly my due. I had the honour to acknowledge, on the 23rd December last, your letter of the 18th of the same month with which you sent me a copy of Major Dyer's communication of the 19th of October I do not complain that I was not sooner made acquainted with Major Dyer's letter, or that it was published in the " Ordnance Memoranda ", in all probability before I had seen it; for I have no doubt you will deem the request, which I now make, to give equal publicity to this letter, both just and reasonable.

I should otherwise be prejudiced by my apparent silence, under remarks which Major Dyer desires may be sent to me, that I may have the opportunity to comment on them. While Major Dyer admits that I had a perfect right to make my projectile as I have done, he apparently thinks that I have no business to use an expanding material " cast on " the projectile; and that I was more particularly precluded therefrom by my having made many trials with the Read projectile, which has a cast iron body run upon an expanding piece of wrought-iron ; in other words it seems to me that he maintains I ought not to have improved.

I sent in my former letter a section of a cast iron shot for Rifled Cannon with a soft metal base or cup " cast on ", made here about August Copper was also cast on at that time. If Major Dyer claims by being the first person who "proposed and reccommended [sic] to the Ordnance Department to make expanding projectiles for Rifled Cannon by casting a base or cup of soft metal on to the body of the projectile", to have invented or discovered that mode of making such projectiles, I think he is error.

Sawyer's projectiles ordered from me by the Chief of Ordnance in , and previously made by the inventor, though but partially expanding had soft metal cast on them. If Major Dyer claims to have first applied or proposed to apply the expanding principle in connection with the casting on of soft metal, I can refer to his own letter to me of Sept. Date of Birth:. Place of Death:. Date of Death:. Place of Burial:. Cemetery Name:.

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