Confederate Archer 3” solid shot projectile. Diameter is 2.93 inches and cast for use with a 3” rifled gun. It is 6” in length and weighs 7 lbs. 13 oz. with lead sabot intact. This projectile has three deep grooves beneath the sabot in the tapered cone section of the shot. It is unfired with smooth and unpitted metal. Shown on page 42 of the "Guide to Civil War Projectiles” by Melton. Archer projectiles are named after Dr. Junius L. Archer, owner of the Bellona Foundry, which was located in Virginia. The space between the lead sabot and the projectile body was occupied by a lubricated hemp rope and linen canvas which was forced into the grooves of the canon when the sabot expanded, reducing friction and subsequent wear on the cannon tube. Archers were often used in counter-battery fire or for ranging a target. A number of such Archer bolts have been recovered from the scene of fighting at Kennesaw Mountain and Shiloh battlefields.