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RML 9-pounder 8 and 6 cwt guns

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RML 9-pounder 8 cwt gun
RML 9-pounder 8 cwt Field Gun, at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick.
TypeField gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1871–1895
Used byBritish Empire
Production history
DesignerWoolwich Arsenal
ManufacturerWoolwich Arsenal
Variants9 pdr 8 cwt Mark I (Land Service)
8 cwt Mark II (Naval Service)
6 cwt Mark I (N.S.)
6 cwt Mark II (L.S.)
6 cwt. Mark III (N.S.)
6 cwt Mark IV (N.S.)
Specifications
Mass8-long-hundredweight (400 kg) or 6-long-hundredweight (300 kg)
Lengthincluding limber[1]
20 ft 5.5 in (6.236 m) (Mk I)
20 ft 7.5 in (6.287 m) (Mk II)
Width5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)[1]
Height5 ft (1.5 m)[1]
Shell9.1 pounds (4.1 kg) (common shell)
9.8 pounds (4.4 kg) (shrapnel)
Calibre3 in (76 mm)[1]
ActionRML
Breechnone – muzzle-loading
Muzzle velocity1,330 feet per second (405 m/s)
Effective firing range3,500 yards (3,200 m)

The RML 9-pounder 8 cwt gun and the RML 9-pounder 6 cwt gun were British Rifled, Muzzle Loading (RML) field, horse and naval artillery guns manufactured in England in the 19th century. They fired a projectile weighing approximately 9 pounds (4.1 kg). "8 cwt" and "6 cwt" refers to the weight of the gun to differentiate it from other 9-pounder guns.

Service history

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An 1871 diagram showing the gun and carriage of the RML 9-pounder 8 cwt field gun.

The 9-pounder 8 cwt Rifled Muzzle Loader was the field gun selected by the Royal Artillery in 1871 to replace the more sophisticated RBL 12 pounder 8 cwt Armstrong gun, which had acquired a reputation for unreliability.[2] The gun was rifled using the system developed by William Palliser, in which studs protruding from the side of the shell engaged with three spiral grooves in the barrel.[3] In 1874, a 6 cwt version was introduced for horse artillery and was later adopted for field artillery use, replacing the 8 cwt version. All variants used the same ammunition, which took the form of shrapnel shell, case shot and common shell.[2]

The 9-pounder remained in front-line service with the Royal Artillery until 1878 when the RML 13 pounder 8 cwt gun was introduced. It remained in use with colonial forces until 1895 and saw action in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the First Boer War of 1881[2] and the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882.[4] A number were issued to British Artillery Volunteer units, with the 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteers being issued with some guns as late as 1901.[5]

Variants

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  • 9-pounder 8 cwt Mark I (Land Service): Introduced into the Royal Artillery in 1871. It was later withdrawn and modified for sea service.
  • 9-pounder 8 cwt Mark II (Naval Service): Introduced in 1873 by the Royal Navy.
  • 9-pounder 6 cwt Mark I (N.S.): A few were made for experimental trials but they proved to be too short; some were issued to the Royal Indian Navy. In 1873, forty five were completed for use as boat guns.
  • 9-pounder 6 cwt Mark II (L.S.): A new design in 1874 for the Royal Horse Artillery, it was longer than the 8 cwt gun but had the same carriage.
  • 9-pounder 6 cwt Mark III (N.S.): Introduced in 1879, a modified Mark II for naval service.
  • 9-pounder 6 cwt Mark IV (N.S.): Similar to the Mark III with a steel jacket instead of wrought iron previously used, and with a strengthened cascabel.[6]

Surviving examples

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Handbook of 9 Pounder RML Guns-1901" (PDF). Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Hall, DD (Major). "Military History Journal, Vol 3 No 5: June 1976 – AMMUNITION – PART II 9-PR 8 cwt RML". samilitaryhistory.org. The South African Military History Society. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b Skaarup, Harold A (2012), Shelldrake: Canadian Artillery Museums and Gun Monuments iUniverse.com, ISBN 978-14697-50002 (p. 131)
  4. ^ Goodrich, Caspar F (Lt Cdr), Report of the British Naval and Military Operations in Egypt 1882, Navy Department, Washington, 1885, p.231
  5. ^ Lt Gen Sir James Moncrieff Grierson, Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force 1859–1908, William Blackwood & Sons Ltd, 1909, p146
  6. ^ Moore, David. "List of British Service Artillery in Use During the Victorian Period". www.victorianforts.co.uk. Victorian Forts and Artillery. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Announcement from The Master Gunner St James's Park". royalartillerymuseum.com. The Royal Artillery Museum. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  8. ^ Boxell, A L (2010), The Ordnance of Southsea Castle Tricorn books, ISBN 978-0-9562498-4-5 (pp. 1–9)
  9. ^ "ARTILLERY REGISTER – RML 9-pounder 6 cwt Mark III". ww.artilleryhistory.org. The Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  10. ^ "19 century military cannon". Baburek.co. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2017.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to RML 9 pounder field guns.

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