QF 3-pounder Nordenfelt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids QF 3-pounder Nordenfelt |
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At Melbourne Town Hall, 1895
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| Type | Naval gun Coast defence gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1885–19?? |
| Used by | Many countries |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1885 |
| Manufacturer | Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company Maxim-Nordenfelt |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | UK 45-cal version : 452 pounds (205 kg) barrel & breech |
| Length | 45 calibres |
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| Shell | Fixed QF |
| Shell weight | 3 lb 4 oz (1.5 kg) |
| Calibre | 47-millimetre (1.850 in) |
| Breech | Vertical sliding-block with locking wedge |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,959 ft/s (597 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 4,000 yd (3,700 m) |
The QF 3-pounder Nordenfelt was a type of light cannon. It was a 47 mm gun that could shoot quickly. It was used on ships and to protect coastlines in the late 1800s. Many countries used this gun.
Where the Gun Was Used
In the United Kingdom, this gun was mainly used to protect the coast. However, it was soon replaced by a similar gun called the QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss. The Hotchkiss gun was used for both coastal defense and on ships.
How the Ammunition Worked
The ammunition for this gun came in "fixed rounds." This means the bullet (called a projectile) and the brass casing were loaded together as one piece.
This gun used the same ammunition as the QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss. The ammunition could have either Nordenfelt or Hotchkiss fuzes, which helped the shell explode. When these guns were first made in the 1880s, they used gunpowder to fire the shells. Later, in the mid-1890s, the British military started using a different type of propellant called Cordite Mark I.
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A British steel shell round from 1891.
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A British common shell round from 1891.
See Also
- List of naval guns
Similar Weapons
- QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss: This was a gun very similar to the Nordenfelt, made by a different company.
