# Grapeshot

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

In [artillery](/source/artillery), a '''grapeshot''' is a type of [ammunition](/source/ammunition) that consists of a collection of smaller-[caliber](/source/caliber) [round shot](/source/round_shot)s packed tightly in a [canvas](/source/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](/source/gunpowder) charge by a metal [wadding](/source/wadding), rather than being a single solid [projectile](/source/projectile). When assembled, the shot resembled a cluster of [grape](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Canister_shot) 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](/source/American_Neptune)}}</ref>

[Canister shot](/source/Canister_shot), also known as case shot, fired a larger number of smaller projectiles loosely packaged in a [tin](/source/tin) or [brass](/source/brass) container, possibly guided by a wooden [sabot](/source/Sabot_(firearms)). The later [shrapnel shell](/source/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](/source/chain) links, nails, shards of glass, rocks or other similar objects as the projectiles. Although langrage can be cheaply made, its [ballistics](/source/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''](/source/CSS_Georgia_(ironclad)) in 2015
File:Munitions at Fort McAllister, GA, US.jpg|Munitions at [Fort McAllister](/source/Fort_McAllister_Historic_Park), showing a grapeshot projectile
</gallery>

==See also==
* [13 Vendémiaire](/source/13_Vend%C3%A9miaire) famous use of grapeshot
* [Beehive anti-personnel round](/source/Beehive_anti-personnel_round)
* [Chain-shot](/source/Chain-shot)—a shot consisting of metal chains
* [Salvo](/source/Salvo)
* [Shotgun shell](/source/Shotgun_shell), functionally identical small arms ammunition
* [Swivel shot](/source/Swivel_gun)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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

Category:Artillery ammunition
Category:Projectiles

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Grapeshot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapeshot) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapeshot?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.