Shot and Shell

Fort Washington's solid masonry walls offered good protection against shot from smoothbore cannon of the early 19th century. When rifled artillery was introduced in the late 1850s and used during the Civil War, the effectiveness of masonry structures decreased. The new weapons fired projectiles that fit the bore tightly and were given a stabilizing spin by the grooves in the barrel. These improvements gave rifled guns a range, accuracy, and hitting power nearly three times greater than the smoothbore cannon of the early 19th century.

Fort Hunt, Virginia · United States