Editing Grapeshot

{{Short description|Type of ammunition consisting of multiple small balls}}
[[File:Grapeshot treatise closeup.jpg|thumb|Close-up of grapeshot (right) from an American Revolution sketch of artillery devices]]
[[File:Carronade mg 5105.jpg|thumb|Model of a [[carronade]] with grapeshot ammunition]]

In [[artillery]], a '''grapeshot''' is a type of [[ammunition]] that consists of a collection of smaller-[[caliber]] [[round shot]]s packed tightly in a [[canvas]] bag<ref>{{cite book|title=The old sea captain|publisher=Religious Tract Society|year=1799|url=https://archive.org/details/oldseacaptain00humpgoog|author=Old Humphrey|page=[https://archive.org/details/oldseacaptain00humpgoog/page/n242 227]}}</ref> and separated from the [[gunpowder]] charge by a metal [[wadding]], rather than being a single solid [[projectile]]. When assembled, the shot resembled a cluster of [[grape]]s, hence the name.  Grapeshot was used both on land and at sea. On firing, the canvas wrapping disintegrates and the contained balls scatter out from the muzzle, giving a ballistic effect similar to a giant [[shotgun]].<ref name=ftm>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=Francis Trevelyan |title =The Photographic History of The Civil War |publisher =Castle Books |volume =Five: Forts and Artillery |date =1957 |location =New York |page =177 }}</ref>

Grapeshot was devastatingly effective against massed infantry at short range and was also used at medium range.  Solid shot was used at longer range and [[Canister shot|canister]] at shorter. When used in naval warfare, grapeshot served a dual purpose. First, it continued its role as an anti-personnel projectile. However, the effect was diminished due to a large portion of the crew being below decks and the addition of hammock netting in iron brackets intended to slow or stop smaller shot.<ref>{{cite book|title=American Sailing Ships: Their Plans and History |publisher=Courier Corporation |year=1984|url=https://archive.org/details/americansailings0000davi|url-access=registration |quote=false. |first=Charles Gerard |last=Davis|author-link=Charles Gerard Davis|page=[https://archive.org/details/americansailings0000davi/page/109 109]|isbn=9780486246581 }}</ref> Second, the shot was cast large enough to cut rigging, destroy spars and blocks, and puncture multiple sails.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Book of Indian Battles from the Landing of the Pilgrims to King Philips War|year=1853|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3-_OcUNlYqkC&pg=PA141|author=Henry Burchstead Skinner|page=141}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Isaac Hull's Victory Revisited|year=1987|author=Martin, Tyrone G|journal=[[American Neptune]]}}</ref>

[[Canister shot]], also known as case shot, fired a larger number of smaller projectiles loosely packaged in a [[tin]] or [[brass]] container, possibly guided by a wooden [[Sabot (firearms)|sabot]]. The later [[shrapnel shell]] contained similarly smaller projectiles, and used a timed bursting charge to expel those projectiles from the front of the container.<ref name=ftm/>

Langrage is a type of improvised round that uses [[chain]] links, nails, shards of glass, rocks or other similar objects as the projectiles. Although langrage can be cheaply made, its [[ballistics]] are inferior to that of metal spheres.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.qaronline.org/conservation/artifacts/arms-and-armament/langrage |title=Langrage |last=Page |first=Courtney |publisher=Queen Anne's Revenge Project |access-date=10 June 2019 }}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Grape shot.JPG|An example of grapeshot
File:CSS Georgia cannonball and holder.jpg|A small cannonball and holder for a grapeshot recovered from the [[CSS Georgia (ironclad)|CSS ''Georgia'']] in 2015
File:Munitions at Fort McAllister, GA, US.jpg|Munitions at [[Fort McAllister Historic Park|Fort McAllister]], showing a grapeshot projectile
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[13 Vendémiaire]] famous use of grapeshot
* [[Beehive anti-personnel round]]
* [[Chain-shot]]—a shot consisting of metal chains
* [[Salvo]]
* [[Shotgun shell]], functionally identical small arms ammunition
* [[Swivel gun|Swivel shot]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Grapeshot}}

[[Category:Artillery ammunition]]
[[Category:Projectiles]]