6-pounder smoothbore cannon
| 6-pounder smoothbore cannon | |
|---|---|
 M1841 6-pounder field gun at Antietam National Battlefield | |
| Type | Smoothbore cannon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1700–1860 |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | War of the Spanish Succession, War of the Polish Succession, War of the Austrian Succession, Seven Years' War, War of the American Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars, Mexican–American War, American Civil War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 880 lb (399.2 kg) |
| Length | 60.0 in (152.4 cm) |
| Crew | 9 |
| Shell weight | circa 6.1 lb (2.8 kg) shot 1.25 lb (0.6 kg) charge |
| Caliber | circa 3.67 in (93 mm) |
| Barrels | 1 |
| Action | Muzzle loading |
| Carriage | 900 lb (408.2 kg) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,439 ft/s (439 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,523 yd (1,393 m) |
The 6-pounder smoothbore cannon was a muzzleloading field gun that was employed by most European nations between 1700 and 1860. The cannon was a smoothbore gun that was usually manufactured in bronze but sometimes in cast iron. The term 6-pounder referred to the 6 lb (2.7 kg) weight of the round shot that it fired. Note that different nations had their own definition of the weight of a pound. The gun could also fire canister shot. On the battlefield, several 6-pounder guns might be grouped together in an artillery battery or a pair of 6-pounders might be assigned to assist an infantry battalion. The 6-pounder cannon was often part of an artillery system that also included 3-pounder, 12-pounder, and 24-pounder guns.
References
[edit]- Chandler, David G. (1995). The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough. New York, N.Y.: Sarpedon Publishers. ISBN 1-885119-14-3.
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- Johnson, Curt; Anderson, Richard C. Jr. (1995). Artillery Hell: The Employment of Artillery at Antietam. College Station, Tex.: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 0-89096-623-0.
- Katcher, Philip (2001). American Civil War Artillery 1861-1865: Field & Heavy Artillery. Osceola, Wis.: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-451-5.
- McConnell, David (1988). "British Smooth-bore Artillery: A Technological Study to Support Identification, Acquisition, Restoration, Reproduction, and Interpretation of Artillery at National Historic Parks in Canada" (PDF). Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services Canada.