Artillery! Yes!  My favorite single shots.  I've been fortunate to have shot 105 (M2), 155 (M115 and M109), and 8" (M110) howitzers in an enlisted hitch in the Army.  What a rush the big guns are to shoot and what a rush to watch the projos land.  A shell passing overhead makes a rushing, tearing, almost snarling sound that once heard is never forgot.

Never had the pleasure of shooting muzzle loading artillery.  A shortcoming that's in my bucket list.

Jerry Liles

I seved on a 105 in the Seabee' and on the 80MM mortar. One thing that always interested me was that the big naval guns had progresive rifleing, the pitch started out real slow and as it neared the end the twist rate was increased, or so I have been told. I dug up lots of old WW2 ordance on Gaum in 1975 and was amazed that most of the unexploded ordance was still in decent shape. That was my first time ever seeing a real 18 inch round right up close and live. Most of the Jap shells we dug up had jap wringt all over them, one of our guys was our proveriable the lite is on and no one home fellow had a Jap knee mortar round all had polished up setting on his desk in the barracks until the barracks inspection when a smart chief realized just what the heck it was and called EOD after getting the crew out of the barracks. All of the large shells ours and thiers had brass rings with the engraving machined into them. My 105 shells had the same thing, it would not fire unless indexed as that located the holes in the case to vent the gases out back. You could tell who was payng attention and who was not by who got burned from the back blast, that thing could kill on both ends.
I know it would not be cheap but just think if we could devise a driving ring on our slugs to match our bores,  I wonder what the accuracy would be? I think it would up the accuracy a bit as all of those large shells with the bands usualy end up right where you aim for. Most of our gun crews had real accurate fire for the most part, I know the F.O. was always pleased.
Mike

I found this article very interesting:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Right... the gas was used only in WWI.  It's amazing that recovery of ordinance is still measured in tons to this day.

Every time the batallion went to Grafenwoher we'd dig up ordenance of all types including shells from Bismark's day up to WWII ranging from 20mm belted ammo up to 240mm.  Small arms stuff we just ignored.  You never knew just what you'd find digging in the perimeter.

Jerry Liles

   John in PA

   Are you currently on a cannon team at N-SSA ?  The reason I ask is we need a few new guys for a 3  Inch Ordnance Rifle that competes pretty seriously.

   You wouldn't happen to be going to the Baltimore Gun Show in Maryland this weekend, would you?  I would like to introduce you to Jerry Coates, if you don't already know him, with First Maine H.A.

  Creedmoormatch

I've been shooting N-SSA for many years.  With 3rd US (Smithgall's team). I shoot my Parrott in rifled class, and a 24-Pdr Coehorn mortar.
I was at the show, but didn't see your message till today (Monday) My team name usually shows up as 3rd Us-Wells.

As you know, N-SSA won't allow you to shoot on crews on two guns in the same class, but if you were shooting smoothbore or howitzer, I'd be glad to help out, barring conflicts with whatever relay I'm assigned to with the Parrot.