Navies of the world

by Edward W. Very

Name, Nature, and Classification.	Powder Charge.				Initial Velocity.
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
	Lbs.	Lbs.	Lbs.	Lbs.	Feet.	Feet.	Feet.
French pattern, cast-iron, steel-lined Breech-loaders.
Model of 1870.
32 cm.	132	132			1,394	1,394	1,496
27 ”	92.4	92.4	52.8	19.8	1,417	1,417	1,542
24 ”	61.6	61.6	35.2	13.2	1,443	1,443	1,555
19 ”	33	33	17.6	7.7	1,456	1,456	1,726
16 ”	20.9	20.9			1,575	1,575	1,660
14 ”		9	9	3.3			1,493
Model of 1864-67.
27 ”	79.2	52.8	52.8	19.8		1,086	1,188
24 ”	52.8	35.2	35.2	13.2		1,115	1,188
19 ”	27.5	17.6	17.6	7.7		1,128	1,168
16 ”	16.5	11	11	5.5		1,132	1,197
14 ”		4.4	4.4	4.4			1,053
Bronze Muzzle-loaders.
12 cm.		2.2	2.2	2.2			1,007
4 ”		.66	.66	.66			738
Hotchkiss Machine-gun.	.18						1,318
Model of 1858-60 Muzzle-loaders.
22 cm.
16 ”
14 ”

Name, Nature, and Classification.	Muzzle Energy			Penetration.
	Steel.	Chilled.	Common.	Steel.	Chilled.
	Ft. Tons.	Ft. Tons.	Ft. Tons.	In.	In.
French pattern, cast-iron, steel-lined Breech-loaders.
Model of 1870.
32 cm.	10,390	10,390	9,730	14.5	14.5
27 ”	6,596	6,596	6,506	12.5	12.5
24 ”	4,561	4,561	4,414	11.1	11.1
19 ”	2,330	2,330	1,828	9	9
16 ”	1,698	1,698	1,598	8.2	8.2
14 ”			712
Model of 1864-67.
27 ”		3,871	3,088		9.6
24 ”		2,821	2,144		8.75
19 ”		1,451	1,081		7.0
16 ”		876	687		5.87
14 ”			314
Bronze Muzzle-loaders.
12 cm.			176
4 ”			39		.94
Hotchkiss Machine-gun.					.94
Model of 1858-60 Muzzle-loaders.
22 cm.
16 ”
14 ”

GUNS.

Smooth-bore guns are entirely obsolete, except for saluting purposes at dock-yards.

The rifled ordnance consists of the cast-iron breech-loader, model 1870, the cast-iron breech-loader, model 1864-67, the cast-iron muzzle-loader, model 1858-60, the bronze muzzle-loader, the mitrailleuse, and the Hotchkiss machine-gun. A new all-steel pattern is being introduced into the service, whose attachments are quite similar to the model of 1870.

The two models of breech-loaders differ radically in the style of rifling, and although the breech mechanism is the same in principle in both types, it is quite different in detail.

Breech-Loader, Model 1870.

Guns of this type consist of a cast-iron body strengthened by a steel tube and steel hoops. The steel tube, which is about one quarter of a calibre in thickness, is inserted into the bore from the rear, and is set fast by a heavy male screw-thread worked at its rear end. It extends a short distance forward of the trunnions. The steel hoops are shrunk on over the cast-iron body, and cover all that part occupied by the tube. For the 14-cm. calibre there is but one row of hoops; for the higher calibres two rows breaking joints. The trunnions form a part of the hoop next to the forward one. In all calibres above 16-cm. this trunnion-hoop is thicker than the others, and forms a salient on the surface of the gun.