Britten Percussion Fuse
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This excavated Britten percussion fuse is from a fired Britten artillery shell and was recovered in the vicinity of South Mountain, MD. It is constructed of brass which now has a chocolate brown patina with a few areas of green colored surface build up. The device is complete with its dome cap and slider. According to Charles H. Jones' author of "Artillery Fuses of the Civil War", on page 72, "The gunners waited until ready to fire, then removed the dome cap and set the percussion cap. This was the primary safety feature." This page is included in the additional images which not only shows a similar Britten fuse but also an example of a Britten shell. Also included in the additional images is page 455 from the 1993 edition of "Field Artillery Projectiles of the American Civil War", by Thomas S. Dickey and Peter C. George which describes and shows cross sections of a Britten fuse. On page 107 of this book, Dickey and George note that Britten shells were indeed British shells used by both the Federal and Confederate troops, but primarily by the Confederates. One aspect of the Britten fuse that sets it apart from American manufactured Civil War fuses is the fact that its threads have a left hand twist. In order to install the fuse in the shell would require a counterclockwise rotation. This rare fuse measures approximately 1-11/16 inches in overall length and its dome cap diameter measures 1-1/4 inches. It will be an excellent addition to any excavated Civil War fuse, artillery, or general relic collection.
- Product Code:
- PC8350
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