Cannon balls

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Andi

... What is your idea for the cannonballs? Iron just as a low cost substitute for lead? In this case iron balls could have been used. I guess the other theory is much more plausible.

This is "too much sand for my lorry"; i don't have enough luggage to discuss these things. This leads me to get confused when reading that ammunitions with the dimension of cannon balls are destined to pierce personal armour
Within my ignorance, i would quicker realize that the outer part of the balls in lead would be to avoid wearing the cannon bore too quick. By the time of Portuguese discoveries, on of their advantages in the artillery area was to have foundries in India to melt and recast the cannons after a limited number of shots.