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210
ORDNANCE
[HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION


Table VI. — British Rifled Ordnance, 1890.
Official Designation 
of Gun.		 Calibre. Weight of 
Gun.		 Weight of 
Charge.		 Weight of 
Projectile.		 Muzzle
Velocity.		 Muzzle
Energy.		 Perforation
of Wrought
Iron.		 Rate of
Firing
Rounds.		 Propellant.
M.L. Guns— In. Tons. ℔ ℔ Ft. Secs. Ft. Tons. In. Per Minute.
 17·72 in. 17·72 100  450  2000  1548 33,233  24·5 1/6 Prism Black
 16  ,,  16 80 450  1700  1540 29,806  25·0 1/4 Prism Brown 
12·5 ,,   12·5 38 210  818 1575 14,140  19·2 1/3 Prism Black
12  ,, 12 35 140  714 1390 9,563 15·2 1/3 P2
11  ,, 11 25 85 548 1360 6,510 13·5 1/3 Pebble
10  ,, 10 18 70 410 1379 5,406 12·5 1/3 ,,
 9  ,,  9 12 50 256 1440 3,695 11·0 1/2 ,, ,,
 8  ,,  8  9 35 179 1390 2,391  9·2 1/2 ,, ,,
 7  ,,  7  7 30 114·6 1525 1,854  9·2 1  ,,
64-pr.* 6·3 3·2 10 66·9 1390 897  6·4 1  R.L.G.4
B.L. Guns—
 16·25 in.  16·25 110·5 960  1800  2087 54,390  38  1/3 S.B.C.
13·5  ,, 13·5 67 630  1250  2016 35,230  33  1/2 ,,
12,, 12 45 295  714 1914 18,137  24·5 1  Prism Brown
10,, 10 29 252  500 2100 15,290  25·8 1  ,,
 9·2,, 9·2 22 166  380 2036 10,915  22·3 11/2 ,,
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 1800 1,123  9·2 3  S.P.
4,, 4 1·3 12 25 1900   626  7·8 3  ,,
Q.F. Guns—
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 3·3 1873 80·2  4·0 20  ,,

 * And many smaller guns.


Table VII.—British B.L. Ordnance, 1900.
Official Designation 
of Gun.		 Calibre. Weight of
Gun.		 Weight of
Charge.		 Weight of
Projectile.		 Muzzle
Velocity.		 Muzzle
Energy.		 Perforation
of Wrought
Iron.		 Rate of
Firing
Rounds.		 Propellant.
In. Tons. ℔. ℔ Ft. Secs. Ft. Tons. In. Per Minute.
16·25 in.  16·25 110·5 960  1800  2087 54,390  38  1  S.B.C.
13·5  in. 13·5 67 187  1250  2016 35,230  33  1/2 Cordite
12 in. Mark VIII. 12 46  167·5 850 2367 33,000  36·9 1  ,,
10 in. 10 29 76 500 2040 14,391  24·8 11/2 ,,
9·2 in. Mark X.   9·2 28 103  380 2601 17,826  32·3 21/2 ,,
8 in. 14  32·625 210 2200 7,046 20·0 .. ,,
6 in. Mark VII. 6  7 20  100 2493 4,335  19·25 7 ,,
5 in. 5  2 4·45  50 1750 1,062  8·8 3 ,,
4 in. 4 13 3·06  25 1900   626  7·8 3 ,,
Q.F. Guns—
6 in. 6 7 13·25 100 2200 3,356 160 6 ,,
4·7 ,, 4·72 2·1 5·43  45 2188 1,494 12·0 8 ,,
4 ,, 4 1·3 3·75  25 2456 1,046 11·6 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.

Table VIII.—British Ordnance, 1910.
Official Designation 
of Gun. 		Calibre. Weight of
Gun. 		Weight of
Charge. 		Weight of
Projectile. 		Muzzle
Velocity. 		Muzzle
Energy. 		Perforation
of Wrought
Iron. 		Rate of
Firing
Rounds. 		Propellant.
In. Tons. ℔. ℔. Ft. Secs. Ft. Tons. In. Per Minute.
12 in. Mark XI. 12  66  .. 850 2959 51,580 51·5 2 M.D.Cordite 
12 in. Mark X. 12  58  309 850 2900 47,697 51·0 2 ,,
10 in. 10  31  148 500 2800 27,205 39·5 2 ,,
9·2 Mark X.   9·2 28  103 380 2640 18,400 33·3 3 ,,
7·5 in.   7·5 16   69·5 200 2800 10,883 29·0 4 ,,
6 in. Mark VII. 6   7·4 20 100 2493  4,308 19·6 6 ,,
4 in. 4   1·3 3·75  25 2456  1,046 11·6 9 ,,

Q.F. guns as in 1900.

The tabulated armour-piercing value of a gun is based on the

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