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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	12.511.0	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	I10.5	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	PrismBrown
10 „	Io	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.	lb.		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	16o	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	o6	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	187.3	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.	lb.	lb.	Ft. Secs.	Ft. Tons.	In.	Per Minute.
12 in. Mark XI.	12	6	..	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	„

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

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