Social Network for Wine Enthusiasts
Why the strange name?
Yeah I know, the word Grapeshot has very little to do with wine. I needed a name that stands out from the crowd though. I liked the concept that grapeshot is made up of many different little parts, but has a big impact. I also liked my own association with "hot grapes".
Anyway. Hope you don't think the name is too stupid.
For all those visitors who want to know more about the word grapeshot:
Grapeshot is a type of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. Instead of solid shot, a mass of loosely packed metal slugs is loaded into a canvas bag. Grapeshot can also be improvised from chainlinks, shards of glass, rocks, etc. When assembled, the balls resemble a cluster of grapes (hence the name). On firing, the balls spread out from the muzzle at high velocity, giving an effect similar to a shotgun but scaled up to cannon size.
Grapeshot was devastatingly effective against massed infantry at short range. It was used to quickly savage massed infantry charges. Cannons would fire solid shot to attack enemy artillery and troops at longer range (although the Shrapnel round was invented to increase the effect of grape shot at a distance), and switch to grape when they or nearby troops were charged.
Grapeshot was largely replaced by canister shot during the early 19th century, with the cloth bag being replaced with a wood-sealed metal canister, guided by a wooden sabot. This gave improved range, more controllable dispersal, and allowed the shot to be safely fired at higher velocity.
Source: Wikipedia
Anyway. Hope you don't think the name is too stupid.
For all those visitors who want to know more about the word grapeshot:
Grapeshot is a type of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. Instead of solid shot, a mass of loosely packed metal slugs is loaded into a canvas bag. Grapeshot can also be improvised from chainlinks, shards of glass, rocks, etc. When assembled, the balls resemble a cluster of grapes (hence the name). On firing, the balls spread out from the muzzle at high velocity, giving an effect similar to a shotgun but scaled up to cannon size.
Grapeshot was devastatingly effective against massed infantry at short range. It was used to quickly savage massed infantry charges. Cannons would fire solid shot to attack enemy artillery and troops at longer range (although the Shrapnel round was invented to increase the effect of grape shot at a distance), and switch to grape when they or nearby troops were charged.
Grapeshot was largely replaced by canister shot during the early 19th century, with the cloth bag being replaced with a wood-sealed metal canister, guided by a wooden sabot. This gave improved range, more controllable dispersal, and allowed the shot to be safely fired at higher velocity.
Source: Wikipedia
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