Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful condition Dyer pattern Federal Common Shot, ground dug in the location of the Battle of Five Forks in Virginia. The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, around the road junction of Five Forks, Dinwiddie County, at the end of the Siege of Petersburg, near the conclusion of the American Civil War.

The Projectile was a type of shell developed by Alexander Dyer and then made in Federal arsenals. It consisted of an expanding lead cup sabot system, with a rounded nose and three flame grooves. The shell was either "case shot," with an explosive charge and lead balls weighing 10-11lbs, or "common," weighing 8-9lbs without balls. The fuze was a Dyer zinc time fuze with spanner holes, and the projectile measured 2.94 inches in diameter and 7.5 inches in length, weighing between 9.5lbs and 11lbs.

A lovely ground dug example ready for further research and display.

Unloaded or dummy grenades, artillery shell casings, and similar devices, which are cut or drilled in an BATF-approved manner so that they cannot be used as ammunition components for destructive devices, are not considered NFA weapons. This example is in total compliance and is NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.

Alexander Dyer invented the Projectile, which was made in Federal arsenals. The sabot system used an expanding lead cup around the base, which had a concave bottom and a groove around the top. The sabot had three flame grooves that allowed the flame from firing to pass through it and ignite the fuze. The shell's nose was rounded.

Some shells were configured as "case shot", containing an explosive charge with lead balls and a time fuze designed to detonate above the heads of troops in the open field. These shells weighed approximately 10-11lbs with balls. Other shells were "common" and weighed approximately 8-9lbs without balls.

Lead balls were packed in yellow or sulfur matrix. The fuze used was a Dyer zinc time fuze, with spanner holes and without a flange. The time fuze for case shot will have a small opening into the chamber (Jones, Fuzes, pg. 36, left). The projectile measures 2.94 inches in diameter, 7 inches in length (excluding fuze), and weighs between 9.5lbs and 11lbs.