Handbook for Light Artillery

by A. B. Dyer

AMMUNITION.

The full charge of powder is 16 ounces, sphero-hex. (U. F.). The projectiles are those used with the 3.6 gun and have already been described.

The charges, required to cover all ranges from 400 to 3350 yards with angles of elevation between 15 and 45 degrees, are four in number. These charges are made up of three cartridges containing 4, 6, 10, and 16 ounces respectively.

The Fuze for Shrapnel is the Frankford Arsenal point-combination fuze, model 1894, burning 28 seconds and weighing 19.75 ounces. The time-train of this fuze is arranged to be cut at intervals of ¹/₅ second.

The Fuze for Shell is fuze M, model 1894. It is identical in construction with fuze C (see page 102), except that a portion of the plunger-spindle is reduced in diameter to lessen the friction of the spring-ring in arming on account of reduced charges. It is distinguished from the C fuze by two grooves across the flat of the base. This fuze is designated for separate transportation, to be assembled with the projectile at or near the firing-ground, and is not to be transported fixed in the projectile.

RANGE TABLE FOR 3.6-INCH B. L. MORTAR.

• Common Shell (Cast Iron)
• Shell, filled and fuzed, 20 lbs
• Bursting-charge, 14.5 oz

Charge and Initial Velocity.	Range.	Elevation.		Time of Flight.	Fall.			Terminal Velocity.
					Angle.		Inclination, 1 Ft. in--
4 ounces; 277.5 ft.-sec.	Yards.	Deg.	Min.	Sec.	Deg.	Min.	Feet.	Ft.-sec.
	400	15	27	4.76	16	00	3.5	266.5
	500	20	04	5.92	21	06	2.6	264.3
	600	25	44	7.45	27	06	2.0	262.3
	700	33	25	9.43	34	59	1.4	259.5
	750	45	00	12.00	46	40	0.9	266.5
Angles > 45°.	700	55	08	13.91	56	52	0.6	271.2
6 ounces; 357.5 ft.-sec.	600	14	04	5.36	14	47	3.7	336.0
	700	16	48	6.38	17	48	3.1	332.9
	800	19	48	7.45	20	56	2.6	329.7
	900	23	10	8.63	24	37	2.2	327.0
	1000	27	16	10.00	29	05	1.8	325.0
	1100	32	27	11.67	34	42	1.4	322.9
	1200	45	00	15.32	47	48	0.9	324.9
Angles > 45°	1100	56	13	17.97	58	55	0.6	329.8
	1000	61	20	18.96	63	50	0.5	331.5
10 ounces; 492.0 ft.-sec.	1100	14	10	7.32	15	17	3.7	439.4
	1200	15	45	8.10	17	06	3.3	435.0
	1300	17	24	8.91	19	02	2.9	430.7
	1400	19	07	9.74	21	02	2.6	427.2
	1500	20	59	10.63	23	14	2.3	424.1
	1600	23	00	11.57	25	32	2.2	420.8
	1700	25	13	12.59	28	07	1.9	418.0
	1800	27	44	13.72	31	01	1.7	415.5
	1900	30	46	15.03	34	31	1.5	413.3
	2000	34	41	16.67	38	58	1.2	412.5
	2100	45	00	20.63	49	52	0.8	417.6
Angles > 45°	2000	52	52	23.16	57	41	0.6	423.8
	1900	56	45	24.29	61	22	0.5	427.7
	1800	59	50	25.11	64	10	0.5	431.0
16 ounces; 660.0 ft.-sec.	2000	15	29	10.53	17	44	3.1	537.9
	2100	16	30	11.18	19	02	2.9	532.9
	2200	17	33	11.85	20	21	2.7	528.4
	2300	18	39	12.54	21	44	2.5	524.3
	2400	19	49	13.26	23	14	2.3	519.8
	2500	21	02	14.00	24	46	2.2	516.1
	2600	22	19	14.78	26	22	2.0	512.9
	2700	23	43	15.61	28	11	1.9	509.4
	2800	25	12	16.49	30	02	1.7	506.2
	2900	26	49	17.42	32	08	1.6	503.8
	3000	28	38	18.45	34	18	1.5	501.7
	3100	30	38	19.60	36	49	1.3	500.2
	3200	33	21	21.02	40	00	1.2	499.2
	3300	36	43	22.78	43	51	1.0	501.0
	3363	45	00	26.75	52	42	0.8	510.4
Angles > 45°	3300	48	59	28.47	56	43	0.7	516.2
	3200	52	40	29.99	60	10	0.6	523.3
	3100	55	22	31.01	62	35	0.5	529.1
	3000	57	25	31.73	64	24	0.5	532.6
	2900	59	19	32.37	66	34	0.4	547.7