Eighty Pounder
80 Pounder Rifled Muzzle Loader of 4.35 tons on Wood, Central Pivot Mount
Range: 2000 metres
Crew: 9
Calibre: 6.25”
Projectile Weight: 88.3 lb
These guns were among those purchased by Sir George Vernon in 1866.
Recoil was controlled by letting the gun run up a wooden slide.
The gun fired either solid or exploding shells cast in water-cooled moulds to harden their tips for the purpose of armour penetration.
posted by Bloggerator at 10:07 PM
5 Comments:
I think that you will find that the calibre of the 80 pounder is closer to 6.5 inches.
The 80 pounder had the same bore as the 64 pounder RML which was 6.25 inches. The 64 pounder bore was chosen so it was the same as 32 pound round shot, in case this was ever needed, or the guns were a failure.
The 80 pounder shell was longer than the 64 pounder (increasing the weight ) and its studs were broader to prevent mixing up.
Thanks for your comments - what is your interest in this field? It's so rare to come across someone with this interest!
I have a model of an 80 pounder on a wooden carriage. I have no idea who made it. It was left to me and I recently had it restored. I found out its specifications from David Spethman (O.A.M) when I took it along to Fort Lytton in Brisbane.
Thanks Ricky, sounds fascinating!
Drop me a line at bloggerator@gmail.com if you would like to chat.
Greg
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