Gunnery in 1858: Being a Treatise on Rifles, Cannon, and Sporting Arms / Explaining the Principles of the Science of Gunnery, and Describing the Newest Improvements in Fire-Arms

by William Greener

They consist, as will be seen, of five descriptions, but the 10-inch is considered, on the score of economy, as equal to all useful purposes. The French have, at various times, constructed mortars of enormously large dimensions, but certainly with no useful result. The monster mortar, used at the siege of Antwerp, fired only ten or twelve shots, and with comparatively little effect. It burst some time after, while under a course of experiment, with a considerably less charge than it had formerly withstood; thus affording one very conclusive and illustrative fact in the theory of vibrations in metals: for there can be no question but that the shell, from the smallness of the charge, was too long detained in the mortar; the waves of vibration caused by the explosive force moving so rapidly through the mass that the metal at last lost its cohesive nature from their very rapid succession.

It will be perceived, on reference to the adjoining tables, that ranges are obtained by the modifications of charges.

English Mortar Practice.[3]

13-Inch Iron.						10-Inch Iron.						8-Inch Iron.						51⁄2-Inch Brass.						4 2-5th-Inch Brass.
Weight, 16 cwts.						16 cwts. 2 qrs.						8 cwts. 1 qr.						1 cwt. 1 qr. 10 lbs.						3 qrs. 19 lbs.
Shell filled, 200 lbs.[4]						92 lbs.						46 lbs.						16 lbs.[5]						8 lbs.
Bursting powder, 6 lbs. 2 ozs.						2 lbs. 10 ozs.						1 lb. 14 ozs.						10 ozs.						5 ozs.
Blowing powder, 2 ozs.						11⁄2 ozs.						1 oz.						1⁄2 oz.						1⁄2 oz.
Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.
deg.	lbs.	ozs.		inch.	yards.	deg.	lbs.	ozs.		inch.	yards.	deg.	lbs.	ozs.		inch.	yards.	deg.	ozs.	dr.		inch.	yards.	deg.	ozs.	dr.		inch.	yards.
45	2	1	1⁄2	1·90	450	45	1	0	1⁄2	1·90	450	15	0	14		0·80	500	15	6	0		0·73	350	15	4	8		0·80	450
	2	3		2·00	500		1	2		2·00	500		1	0		1·00	550		7	0		0·75	400		4	12		0·85	500
	2	4	3⁄4	2·10	550		1	3	1⁄4	2·10	550		1	2		1·10	600		7	8		0·80	450	25	4	0		1·10	540
	2	6		2·20	600		1	4	3⁄4	2·20	600	45	0	9	1⁄2	1·90	450		8	0		0·85	500	45	2	6		1·65	300
	2	7	3⁄4	2·30	650		1	6		2·30	650		0	10	3⁄4	2·00	500	25	5	8		1·10	480		2	9		1·70	350
	2	9	1⁄2	2·40	700		1	7	1⁄2	2·40	700		0	12	1⁄2	2·10	550	45	4	8			300		3	0		1·80	450
	2	11	3⁄4	2·45	750		1	9		2·45	750		0	13	3⁄4	2·20	600		4	12			350		2	12		1·75	400
	2	14		2·50	800		1	10		2·50	800		0	14	1⁄2	2·30	650		5	0		1·75	400		3	4		1·85	500
	3	0	1⁄2	2·55	850		1	11		2·55	850		0	15	1⁄2	2·40	700		5	4		1·80	450		3	8		1·90	550
	3	3		2·60	900		1	12		2·60	900		1	0		2·45	750		5	8		1·85	500		3	12		1·95	600
	3	5	1⁄2	2·65	950		1	13		2·65	950		1	0	1⁄2	2·50	800		5	12		1·90	550
	3	8		2·70	1,000		1	14		2·70	1,000		1	1	1⁄4	2·55	850		6	0		1·95	600
	3	10		2·75	1,050		1	15	1⁄4	2·75	1,050		1	2		2·60	900
	3	12		2·80	1,100		2	0	1⁄2	2·80	1,100		1	2	3⁄4	2·65	950
	3	14		2·85	1,150		2	1	3⁄4	2·85	1,150		1	3	1⁄2	2·70	1,000
	4	0		2·90	1,200		2	3		2·90	1,200		1	4		2·75	1,050
	1	4	3⁄4	2·80	1,100
	1	5	1⁄4	2·85	1,150
	1	6		2·90	1,200

13-Inch Iron.						10-Inch Iron.						8-Inch Iron.
Weight, 16 cwts.						16 cwts. 2 qrs.						8 cwts. 1 qr.
Shell filled, 200 lbs.[4]						92 lbs.						46 lbs.
Bursting powder, 6 lbs. 2 ozs.						2 lbs. 10 ozs.						1 lb. 14 ozs.
Blowing powder, 2 ozs.						11⁄2 ozs.						1 oz.
Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.
deg.	lbs.	ozs.		inch.	yards.	deg.	lbs.	ozs.		inch.	yards.	deg.	lbs.	ozs.		inch.	yards.
45	2	1	1⁄2	1·90	450	45	1	0	1⁄2	1·90	450	15	0	14		0·80	500
	2	3		2·00	500		1	2		2·00	500		1	0		1·00	550
	2	4	3⁄4	2·10	550		1	3	1⁄4	2·10	550		1	2		1·10	600
	2	6		2·20	600		1	4	3⁄4	2·20	600	45	0	9	1⁄2	1·90	450
	2	7	3⁄4	2·30	650		1	6		2·30	650		0	10	3⁄4	2·00	500
	2	9	1⁄2	2·40	700		1	7	1⁄2	2·40	700		0	12	1⁄2	2·10	550
	2	11	3⁄4	2·45	750		1	9		2·45	750		0	13	3⁄4	2·20	600
	2	14		2·50	800		1	10		2·50	800		0	14	1⁄2	2·30	650
	3	0	1⁄2	2·55	850		1	11		2·55	850		0	15	1⁄2	2·40	700
	3	3		2·60	900		1	12		2·60	900		1	0		2·45	750
	3	5	1⁄2	2·65	950		1	13		2·65	950		1	0	1⁄2	2·50	800
	3	8		2·70	1,000		1	14		2·70	1,000		1	1	1⁄4	2·55	850
	3	10		2·75	1,050		1	15	1⁄4	2·75	1,050		1	2		2·60	900
	3	12		2·80	1,100		2	0	1⁄2	2·80	1,100		1	2	3⁄4	2·65	950
	3	14		2·85	1,150		2	1	3⁄4	2·85	1,150		1	3	1⁄2	2·70	1,000
	4	0		2·90	1,200		2	3		2·90	1,200		1	4		2·75	1,050
	1	4	3⁄4	2·80	1,100
	1	5	1⁄4	2·85	1,150
	1	6		2·90	1,200

51⁄2-Inch Brass.						4 2-5th-Inch Brass.
Weight, 1 cwt. 1 qr. 10 lbs.						3 qrs. 19 lbs.
Shell filled, 16 lbs.[5]						8 lbs.
Bursting powder, 10 ozs.						5 ozs.
Blowing powder, 1⁄2 oz.						1⁄2 oz.
Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.	Ele- va- tion.	Charge.			Fuse.	Range.
deg.	ozs.	dr.		inch.	yards.	deg.	ozs.	dr.		inch.	yards.
15	6	0		0·73	350	15	4	8		0·80	450
	7	0		0·75	400		4	12		0·85	500
	7	8		0·80	450	25	4	0		1·10	540
	8	0		0·85	500	45	2	6		1·65	300
25	5	8		1·10	480		2	9		1·70	350
45	4	8			300		3	0		1·80	450
	4	12			350		2	12		1·75	400
	5	0		1·75	400		3	4		1·85	500
	5	4		1·80	450		3	8		1·90	550
	5	8		1·85	500		3	12		1·95	600
	5	12		1·90	550
	6	0		1·95	600

[3] Artillerist’s Manual.

[4] Shells filled with sand, which will account for the weight.

[5] Shells filled with sand, which will account for the weight.