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RML 64-pounder 58 cwt facts for kids

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Ordnance RML 64 pounder 58 cwt gun (converted)
RML 64 pounder 58 cwt gun barrel diagram from handbook
64 Pounder (58 cwt) RML gun barrel, diagram from handbook
Type Coast defence gun
Place of origin United Kingdom
Service history
In service 1870–1902
Used by British Army
British Colonies
Production history
Designer Lt Col William Dundas
Designed 1847
Manufacturer Royal Gun Factory
Variants One mark only
Specifications
Mass 6,496 pounds (2,947 kg)
Barrel length 103.27 inches (2.623 m) (bore)
Shell 64 pounds (29.03 kg)
Calibre 6.3-inch (160.0 mm)
Carriage Garrison carriage
Muzzle velocity 1,230 feet per second (370 m/s)
Sights Centre sighted

The RML 64-pounder 58 cwt guns were powerful British cannons. They were called "rifled muzzle-loading" guns. This means they had grooves inside the barrel to make the shell spin. The shell was loaded from the front (muzzle). These guns were actually older 32-pounder cannons that were updated.

How the 64-Pounder Gun Was Designed

In the 1860s, Britain started using guns with grooves inside. These grooves made the shells fly straighter and farther. Britain had many old, smooth-barreled cannons. Making new gun barrels was very expensive. So, they decided to change the best old guns into new, rifled ones.

This update was called the Palliser conversion. It was a smart idea. A new, stronger metal tube was put inside the old cast-iron barrel. This made the gun much stronger. It was better to reinforce the gun from the inside out.

The 64-pounder gun started as a 32-pounder cannon. This old gun used to fire a 32-pound solid ball. To convert it, workers drilled out the inside of the old barrel. Then, they put in a new tube made of strong iron. This new tube was about 6.29 inches wide inside.

After the new tube was in place, they added three spiral grooves. These grooves made the shell spin as it left the gun. This spin helped the shell fly accurately. The gun was then tested by firing it. This test also helped the new tube fit even more tightly inside the old barrel.

Ammunition for the 64-Pounder Gun

RML 64 pounder ammunition diagrams
Ammunition diagram from the gun handbook, 1887

The 64-pounder gun could fire three main types of ammunition. These types were used by other 64-pounder guns too. Even though many of these guns were used to defend coasts, they weren't very good against heavily armored ships.

  • Common shell: This was used to attack buildings or forts.
  • Shrapnel shell: This shell was filled with small balls. It was used against groups of soldiers or cavalry (soldiers on horseback).
  • Case shot: This was used for close-range fighting against targets that weren't armored.

To fire the gun, a small copper tube was put into a hole at the back of the gun. A rope, called a lanyard, was attached to this tube. When the lanyard was pulled, the tube would spark. This spark would ignite a bag of black powder inside the gun. The burning powder created a lot of gas, pushing the shell out.

Different types of fuses could be used with the shells. Some fuses made the shell explode at a certain time or distance. Others made it explode when it hit something. Gunners could fire about one round every three minutes.

Where the 64-Pounder Guns Were Used

Symonds and Co Collection Q41452
2nd Hampshire Artillery Volunteers with 64 Pounder (58 cwt) gun at drill, Southsea, c1895 (IWM Q41452)

These guns were made to be used both on land and at sea. However, they quickly became old-fashioned for naval use. They were used widely across the British Empire. This included places like Australia and Bermuda.

Some 64-pounder guns were used by the navy in Australia. For example, they were on a ship called the HMVS Nelson. The gunners on this ship practiced using both old smoothbore shells and new rifled shells. This helped them be ready for anything.

On land, the ways these guns were mounted varied a lot. Some guns were on simple wooden stands. Others were on more complex iron mounts. Some were even on special mounts that could hide the gun after it fired. These were called disappearing gun carriages.

Some mounts were designed to protect the gun crew. Many guns were placed on open platforms for training. Soldiers would practice firing and moving the guns. By 1902, these guns were no longer useful for defending coasts. Many were then taken apart or thrown away.

Gallery

  • RML 64 pounder 58 cwt gun on wooden garrison carriage

    Gun on simple wooden garrison carriage showing sights fitted and Allen Brake to reduce recoil

  • Cannon in Gibraltar

    Gun on iron depression carriage, Gibraltar

  • British 64 Pounder Rifled Muzzle-Loaded (RML) Gun on Moncrieff disappearing mount, at Scaur Hill Fort, Bermuda

    Gun on Moncrieff disappearing mount, at Scaur Hill Fort, Bermuda

  • City hall st georges bermuda

    Two guns on metal carriages at the Town Hall of St. George's Town, facing onto the Queen's Square

  • Iron 64lb RML at Fort Nelson

    Gun on 'C' pivot traversing platform at Fort Nelson

See also

Surviving examples

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