Table VI. — British Rifled Ordnance, i8go.
Official Desij
- nation Calibre.
Weight of
Weight of
Weight of
Muzzle
Muzzle
Perforation
of Wrought
Iron.
Rate of
of Gun
Gun.
Charge.
Projectile.
Velocity.
Energy.
Firing Rounds.
Propellant.
M.L. Gu
ns — In.
Tons.
lb.
n>.
Ft. Sees.
Ft. Tons.
In.
Per Minute.
17-72 1
n. 17-72
100
450
2000
1548
33.233
24-5
Prism Black
16
16
80
450
1700
1540
29,806
25-0
1
Prism Brown
12-5
12-5
38
210
818
1575
14,140
19-2
h
Prism Black
12
12
35
140
714
1390
9.563
5-2
1
p2
II
II
25
85
548
1 3(10
6,510
13-5
1
Pebble
10
10
18
70
410
■379
5.406
■2-5
1 3
9
9
12
50
256
1440
3.695
1 10
1
8
8
9
35
179
1 390
2.391
9-2
1
7
7
7
30
1 14-6
1525
1.854
9-2
I
64-pr.
6-3
y2
10
66-9
1390
897
6-4
I
R.L.G."
B.L. Gun
s —
16-25 1
1. 16-25
II0-5
960
1800
20S7
54.390
38
i
S.B.C.
13-5
13-5
67
630
1250
2016
35.230
33
1 2
12
45
295
714
1914
18,137
24-5
I
PrismBrown
10
10
29
252
500
2100
15.290
25-8
I
9-2
9-2
22
166
380
2036
10.915
22-3
li
8
8
14
118
210
2200
7,046
20-0
2
6
6
5
48
100
1960
2,435
13-5
3
E.X.E.
5
5
2
16
50
1 800
1. 123
9-2
3
S.P.
4
4
1-3
12
25
1900
626
7-8
3
Q.F. Gun
3 —
4-7 in.
4-72
2-1
12
45
1786
995
8-8
8
6-pr.
2-24
0-4
1-94
6
1837
141-2
5-3
20
Q.F.
3..
1-85
0-25
1-5
i-i
1873
So- 2
4-0
20
And many sinaller guns. Table VII. — British B.L. Ordnance, igon.
Official Designation
Calibre.
Weight of
Weight of
Weight of
Muzzle
Muzzle
Perforation
of Wrought
Iron.
Rate of
of Gun.
Gun.
Charge.
Projectile.
Velocity.
Energy.
Firing Rounds.
Propellant.
I...
Tons.
ft.
ft.
Ft. Sees.
Ft. Tons.
In.
Per Minute.
16-25 in.
16-25
1 10-5
960
1800
2087
54.390
38
S.B.C.
3-5 in.
13-5
67
187
1250
2016
35.230
33
-
Cordite
12 m. Mark VIII.
12
46
167-5
850
2367
33.000
36-9
I
10
29
76
500
2040
14., S9I
24-8
i^
9-2 in. Mark X.
9-2
28
103
380
2601
17,826
i—i
22-
8 m.
8
14
32-625
210
2200
7,046
20-0
"
6 m. Mark 11.
6
7
20
100
2493
4.335
19-25
7
5 m.
5
2
4-45
50
1750
1,062
8-8
3
4 m.
4
1-3
3-06
25
1900
626
7-8
3
Q.F. Guns—
6 in.
6
7
13-25
100
2200
3.356
16-0
6
4-7..
4-72
2-1
5-43
45
2188
1.494
I2-0
8
4 ..
4
1-3
3-75
25
2456
1,046
II-6
9
12-pr.
3
0-6
1-94
12-5
2210
423
8-0
15
6 .,
2 24
0-4
0-483
6
1818
137
4-8
20
3 ..
1-81
0-25
0-396
3-3
1873
80-2
4-0
20
As regards rapidity of aimed fire — and no shooting is worth consideration which is not aimed — much depends on the quickness with which the gun can be opened, loaded and closed again ready for firing, but quite as much depends on the ease and convenience of moving to any required direction the gun with its mounting; also on the system of recoil adopted and the method of sighting. Two identically similar guns may consequently give entirely different rates of firing, unless mounted and sighted on the same system — without taking into consideration the personal element of the gun detachment or crew. The rates of firing shown in many tables are therefore not always a trustworthy criterion of the guns
capabilities. The advantage of the Q.F. system (i.e. a gun firing charges contained in metallic cases), when suitably mounted, over the old B.L. guns was exhibited in a very marked manner in 1887, when the first 4-7-in. Q.F. gun fired ten rounds in 47-5 seconds and subsequently fifteen rounds in one minute. The 5-in. B.L. gun when fired as rapidly as possible only fired ten rounds in 6 minutes 16 seconds; so that the Q.F. gun fired its tenth round before the then service gun fired its second shot. Recent improvements made in the mechanism of the B.L. gun enable it to compete with the Q.F. system.
The tabulated armour-piercing value of a gun is based on the
Table
VUl.—Brilish Ordnance
IQIO.
Official Designation of Gun.
Calibre.
Weight of Gun.
Weight of Charge.
Weight of Projectile.
Muzzle Velocity.
Muzzle P/ Energy.
rforation Wrought Iron.
Rate of
Firing
Rounds.
Propellant.
12 in. Mark XI. 12 in. Mark X 10 in.
9-2 Mark X.
7-5 in.
6 in. Mark VIi.
4 in.
In. 12 12 10
9-2
7-5 6
4
Tons. 66 58 31 28 16 7-4 1-3
ft.
309 148
103 69-5 20 3-75
ft. 850 850 500 380 200 100
25
Ft. Sees.
2959 2900 2800 2640 2800 2493 2456
Ft. Tons.
51.580
47.697 27.205 18,400 10,88? 4.308 1,046
In.
51-5 51-0 39-5 33-3 290 19-6 11-6
Per Minute. 2 2 2
3 4 6
9
M.D.Cordite
Q
F. guns as
n 1900.
lA