214:
was necessitated by the need to minimise the gun's weight while still allowing it to fire a relatively heavy shell : it ensured that the thickest amount of metal surrounded the point of maximum pressure on firing, at the rear of the chamber. However, mortars fired at high elevations, allowing the powder charge to naturally seat into the coned rear end of the chamber, whereas guns such as this fired on a relatively flat trajectory, leading to the powder charge sitting on the bottom of the chamber. Hence in sea service using smaller "reduced" charges such as in short-range actions this slowed the rate of fire as precautions had to be taken to ensure that the powder charge remained correctly positioned within the chamber until firing, to avoid a misfire.
259:
31:
213:
This was a "chambered" gun, meaning that the area at the breech-end of the gun where the gunpowder propellant charge burned was not of the same cylindrical section as the gun bore itself. The chamber was of the "Gomer" conical pattern, tapering towards the rear, typical of mortars of the day. This
222:
The early 6.71 ft (205 cm) 50 cwt version was deemed "too light and short for armament of great ships of war" and the 9 ft (270 cm) 65 cwt version of 1838 was the model typically deployed on
British warships "of all rates and classes".
381:"Smooth-bored shell guns from which solid shot cannot be fired are designated by the calibre in inches and the weight of the piece". page 39 in Owen "The principles and practice of modern artillery". 1 cwt (abbreviation for hundredweight) = 112 pounds = 51 kg.
205:
The idea behind a gun that could fire spherical exploding shells but not solid armour-piercing shot was that large projectiles capable of carrying a large explosive filling could be fired from comparatively light guns: the
472:
947:
465:
458:
937:
314:"General William Millar, R.A. has had the credit of the introduction into our service, but the proper use of shell-guns was first pointed out by
210:
intended to fire solid shot weighed 95 cwt (4,826 kg) compared to the 65 cwt (3,302 kg) of the typical 8-inch shell gun.
90:
814:
789:
862:
804:
322:, published in 1822, and they were adopted by the French before 1824". page 42 in Owen "The principles and practice of modern artillery"
857:
799:
784:
779:
829:
755:
682:
659:
607:
537:
493:
764:
852:
695:
794:
372:
3300 yards at 16° elevation, firing 51-pound shell with 10 pounds gunpowder propellant. Douglas, 1860, page 580, Table V.
193:
designed specifically to fire the new generation of exploding shells pioneered in the early to mid-nineteenth century by
819:
809:
624:
619:
769:
942:
700:
672:
640:
231:
363:
With a charge of 10 lb gunpowder. Table VIII, page 531 in Owen "The principles and practice of modern artillery"
774:
740:
649:
629:
847:
258:
842:
837:
745:
735:
730:
725:
720:
295:
190:
898:
715:
574:
569:
315:
194:
592:
710:
441:
Treatise on the construction and manufacture of ordnance in the
British service. War Office, UK, 1877
227:
551:
450:
867:
507:
502:
247:
139:
30:
916:
597:
512:
423:"A Treatise on Naval Gunnery". Fifth edition, revised. published by John Murray, London, 1860
663:
281:
235:
561:
527:
161:
429:"The principles and practice of modern artillery". published by John Murray, London, 1873
428:
288:
440:
422:
893:
705:
522:
517:
481:
207:
931:
686:
485:
274:
264:
888:
883:
331:
Complete cost of gun, carriage, slide and appurtenances. Douglas, 1860, page 339
186:
of 50 cwt, 54 cwt and 65 cwt were the three variants of
British
354:
Table VIII, page 531 in Owen "The principles and practice of modern artillery"
121:
75:
187:
44:
345:
Table I, page 525 in Owen "The principles and practice of modern artillery"
584:
908:
151:
257:
390:
page 42 in Owen "The principles and practice of modern artillery"
168:
1,506 feet per second (459 m/s) (51 lb 8 oz Martin's shell)
166:
1,464 feet per second (446 m/s) (49 lb 14 oz Common shell);
454:
146:
51 pounds 8 ounces (23.4 kg) (Martin's shell)
144:
49 pounds 14 ounces (22.6 kg) (Common shell);
230:
in the 1860s, and 65 cwt versions were converted to
907:
876:
828:
754:
681:
658:
638:
606:
583:
560:
536:
492:
172:
160:
150:
138:
120:
110:
105:
97:
86:
81:
71:
63:
58:
50:
40:
21:
116:6,048 pounds (2,743 kg) (54 cwt version)
114:7,280 pounds (3,300 kg) (65 cwt version)
226:They were superseded by the new generation of
466:
8:
948:Victorian-era weapons of the United Kingdom
473:
459:
451:
18:
129:8 feet (2.4 m) (54 cwt version)
127:9 feet (2.7 m) (65 cwt version)
341:
339:
337:
307:
7:
287:Two 65 cwt guns dated 1843 at
427:Lieutenant-Colonel C H Owen R.A.,
14:
296:British Residency, Lucknow, India
938:Naval guns of the United Kingdom
29:
191:smoothbore muzzle-loading guns
173:Maximum firing range
1:
421:General Sir Howard Douglas,
408:Douglas, 1860, pages 184-185
399:Douglas, 1860, pages 186-187
294:Two 65 cwt guns at the
964:
232:RML 64-pounder 71 cwt guns
228:rifled muzzle-loading guns
176:3,300 yards (3,000 m)
853:QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mk I
538:Smoothbore muzzle-loading
494:Smoothbore muzzle-loading
291:Monument, Toronto, Canada
156:8.05-inch (204.5 mm)
133:
51:Place of origin
28:
650:68-pounder Lancaster gun
848:QF 6-pounder Nordenfelt
639:Rifled muzzle-loaders (
320:Nouvelle Force Maritime
23:Ordnance ML 8 inch gun
843:QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss
838:QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss
790:BL 9.2-inch Mk I – VII
630:RBL 7-inch 110-pounder
269:
91:General William Millar
899:1-inch Nordenfelt gun
805:BL 12-inch Mk I – VII
701:RML 64-pounder 64 cwt
683:Rifled muzzle-loaders
673:RML 64-pounder 71 cwt
660:Rifled muzzle-loaders
484:naval weapons of the
261:
208:8-inch 68 pounder gun
195:Henri-Joseph Paixhans
780:BL 6-inch Mk II – VI
775:BL 6-inch 80-pounder
608:Rifled breechloaders
302:Notes and references
184:ML 8-inch shell guns
162:Muzzle velocity
795:BL 9.2-inch Mk VIII
696:RML 9-pounder 8 cwt
280:65 cwt gun at
277:, Sydney, Australia
273:65 cwt gun at
267:, Sydney, Australia
263:65 cwt gun at
810:BL 12-inch Mk VIII
736:RML 12-inch 35-ton
731:RML 12-inch 25-ton
575:13-inch Blomefield
570:10-inch Blomefield
270:
254:Surviving examples
248:List of naval guns
82:Production history
925:
924:
917:Whitehead torpedo
830:Quick-firing guns
598:24-pounder Millar
593:12-pounder Millar
513:32-pounder 55 cwt
180:
179:
955:
943:203 mm artillery
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468:
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388:
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316:General Paixhans
312:
282:Pendennis Castle
33:
24:
19:
963:
962:
958:
957:
956:
954:
953:
952:
928:
927:
926:
921:
903:
872:
824:
750:
677:
654:
634:
602:
579:
556:
532:
528:Somerset cannon
488:
479:
449:
437:
435:Further reading
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220:
203:
167:
145:
134:
128:
115:
64:In service
59:Service history
36:
35:54 cwt gun
22:
17:
12:
11:
5:
961:
959:
951:
950:
945:
940:
930:
929:
923:
922:
920:
919:
913:
911:
905:
904:
902:
901:
896:
894:Nordenfelt gun
891:
886:
880:
878:
874:
873:
871:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
834:
832:
826:
825:
823:
822:
817:
812:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
767:
761:
759:
756:Breech-loaders
752:
751:
749:
748:
743:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
692:
690:
679:
678:
676:
675:
669:
667:
656:
655:
653:
652:
646:
644:
636:
635:
633:
632:
627:
625:RBL 40-pounder
622:
620:RBL 20-pounder
617:
613:
611:
604:
603:
601:
600:
595:
589:
587:
581:
580:
578:
577:
572:
566:
564:
558:
557:
555:
554:
552:10-inch 86 cwt
549:
543:
541:
534:
533:
531:
530:
525:
520:
518:32-pounder gun
515:
510:
505:
499:
497:
490:
489:
482:British Empire
480:
478:
477:
470:
463:
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448:
447:External links
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444:
443:
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284:, Cornwall, UK
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106:Specifications
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98:Unit cost
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54:United Kingdom
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877:Light weapons
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839:
836:
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821:
820:BL 16.25-inch
818:
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760:
758:(new pattern)
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753:
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742:
741:RML 12.5-inch
739:
737:
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732:
729:
727:
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623:
621:
618:
616:RBL 9 pounder
615:
614:
612:
609:
605:
599:
596:
594:
591:
590:
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586:
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486:Victorian era
483:
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77:
74:
70:
66:
62:
57:
53:
49:
46:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
815:BL 13.5-inch
546:
416:Bibliography
404:
395:
386:
377:
368:
359:
350:
327:
319:
310:
289:Fort Rouillé
275:Fort Denison
265:Fort Denison
225:
221:
212:
204:
183:
181:
124: length
72:Used by
889:Gardner gun
884:Gatling gun
863:QF 4.7-inch
746:RML 16-inch
726:RML 11-inch
721:RML 10-inch
610:(Armstrong)
238:'s method.
932:Categories
800:BL 10-inch
716:RML 9-inch
711:RML 8-inch
706:RML 7-inch
540:shell guns
523:68-pounder
508:24-pounder
503:18-pounder
218:Deployment
76:Royal Navy
67:1825–1860s
909:Torpedoes
868:QF 6-inch
858:QF 4-inch
785:BL 8-inch
770:BL 5-inch
765:BL 4-inch
664:converted
641:Lancaster
585:Howitzers
318:, in his
188:cast iron
45:Naval gun
16:Naval gun
687:Woolwich
242:See also
236:Palliser
87:Designer
562:Mortars
496:cannons
152:Calibre
547:8-inch
201:Design
122:Barrel
93:, R.A.
140:Shell
101:£172
234:via
182:The
111:Mass
41:Type
934::
336:^
197:.
689:)
685:(
666:)
662:(
643:)
474:e
467:t
460:v
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