| 32-pounder smoothbore cannon | |
|---|---|
 32-pounder cannon outside the Underwater Archaeology Centre at Fort Victoria. | |
| Type | Naval gun Coast Defence gun |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1847 - 1908 |
| Used by | United Kingdom |
| Wars | Crimean War |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1847 - approximately 1860 |
| Specifications (for the 32-pounder of 58 cwt) | |
| Mass | 58 cwt |
| Barrel length | 9 feet 6 inches (2.896 m) |
| Shell | Solid Shot |
| Shell weight | 32 pounds (14.51 kg) |
| Calibre | 6.375 inches (16.19 cm) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,900 feet per second (580 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | Approximately 3,000 yards (2,700 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 3,620 yards (3,310 m) |
The 32-pounder was a spcification of artillery pieces designed and used by the British Armed Forces in the mid-19th century. The cannons were smoothbore muzzle-loading weapons capable of firing a projectile of 32 lb (15 kg). It was introduced in 1847 and used by the Royal Artillery on land and the Royal Navy at sea.
Design
edit
32-pounders were a traditional design of muzzleloader, in that they needed to be loaded from the end of the barrel.[1] Before it could be loaded the bore of the barrel was cleaned with a sponge after which an explosive charge (gunpowder in a cloth bag) was rammed down into the breech, followed by a projectile.[1] The gun was primed (using a metal spike inserted through the vent that pierced the charge), and fired using a percussion cap (which detonated the charge and forced the projectile out of the barrel).[2]
There were 16 different types of 32-pounder introduced into service, from small 25 cwt with 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) barrels, up to larger 58 cwt pieces with barrels of 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m). The 58 cwt model was the most common variant of 32-pounder cannon used in land service by the Royal Artillery. It's barrel was 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) long and had a calibre of 6.375 in (16.19 cm)[3] With a 10 lb (4.5 kg) powder charge (the maximum charge the barrel could withstand, although smaller charges could be used) it fired a projectile with a muzzle velocity of 1,900 feet per second (580 m/s).[4]
Service
editConversion to rifled muzzle loader
editThe introduction of rifled muzzle loading cannon (also referred to as RMLs) rendered smoothbore guns obsolete.[5] However smoothbores still existed in large numbers and various attempts were made to adapt the guns to fire new projectiles.[6][5] Eventually Captain William Palliser patented a method of boring out the gun barrel and inserting a wrought iron rifled liner.[5] This allowed rifled shot to be fired from old smoothbore cannon and experiments revealed that it made them even more powerful than they had been before.[7] The 32-pounders converted in this way were classed as 32-pounder RML 58 cwt or 64-pounder RML 58 cwt. They had a calibre of 6.3 inches (16 cm) and a muzzle velocity of 1,245 ft/s (379 m/s).[4] Introduced in 1870, they remained in service until they were declared obsolete in 1908.[8]
References
editBibliography
edit- Cantwell, Anthony (1985). Fort Victoria: 1852–1969. Isle of Wight County Council Cultural Services. ISBN 0906328322.
- Owen, John Fletcher (1879). Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1879.
- Hogg, Ian (1974). Coast Defences of England and Wales, 1856 – 1956. Vancouver: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-6353-0.