RML 7-pounder Mountain Gun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ordnance RML 7-pounder Mk IV Mountain Gun
No. 4 (Hazara) Mountain Battery with RML 7-pounder circa. 1895
Type	Mountain gun
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1873 – 19?
Used by	British Empire  India
Wars	Anglo-Zulu War First Boer War Second Boer War Anglo-Aro War
Specifications
Mass	200 lb (91 kg) barrel
Barrel length	3 ft (0.91 m)
Shell	7 lb 11 oz (3.5 kg) (shrapnel) 7 lb 4 oz (3.3 kg) (common) 12 lb 4 oz (5.6 kg) (double)
Calibre	3 in (76 mm)
Traverse	nil
Muzzle velocity	968 ft/s (295 m/s)
Maximum firing range	3,000 yd (2,700 m)

The Ordnance RML 7-pounder Mk IV "Steel Gun" was a special type of British rifled muzzle-loading mountain gun. "RML" stands for "Rifled Muzzle Loader," meaning the inside of the barrel had grooves (rifling) to make the shell spin, and it was loaded from the front (muzzle). The "7-pounder" part meant that the shell it fired weighed about 7 pounds.

History of the 7-pounder Gun

Work on this gun started in 1864. The goal was to replace an older gun, the RBL 6-pounder, which was too heavy for mountain use. Soldiers needed a lighter gun they could carry easily in tough mountain areas.

At first, they tried making 7-pounder guns from old bronze cannons. But these were still too heavy. So, new barrels were made from steel. This gun was actually the very first British gun made entirely of steel, which is why it was called the "Steel Gun."

Different versions (Marks) of the steel gun were tested. The Mk IV version, which weighed about 200 pounds, was chosen for production in 1873. This gun was later replaced by the RML 2.5-inch Mountain Gun starting in 1879.

How the Gun Was Used in Battles

This mountain gun was quite fast to use. Soldiers could put it together and load a shell in just 20 seconds. The regular shell it fired, called a "common shell," wasn't always very effective.

To help it shoot at high angles, a longer "double shell" was made. This shell had more explosive inside. It was fired with less gunpowder, but sometimes the shell didn't work right because it was too long or didn't spin enough. The shells spun because of small studs on their sides that fit into the rifling grooves inside the barrel.

Anglo-Zulu War (1879)

During this war, Britain used several of these guns. They were put on special "Colonial" carriages. These were light field gun carriages with bigger, wider wheels. This design made them good for being pulled by horses across tall grass.

Two of these guns were lost during a very difficult battle called Battle of Isandlwana.

Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880)

Titled "Dignity & Impudence," this photo shows an elephant and mule battery during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The mule team would have carried supplies or pulled the small field gun. Elephants pulled the larger gun. The gun on the left looks like a 7-pounder mountain gun.

A photograph from the Second Anglo-Afghan War seems to show an RML 7-pounder Mountain Gun. This war started because Britain was worried about Russia's influence in Afghanistan. British forces from India invaded Afghanistan.

The war had two main parts. It ended in September 1880 with the Battle of Kandahar.

First Boer War (1880–1881)

Britain used four of these guns during this war. They were mounted on standard small mountain carriages, which made them easier to move in hilly areas.

War of the Golden Stool (1900)

The West African Frontier Force used several 7-pounder guns in the War of the Golden Stool. These guns were very helpful in this campaign. Other groups, like the Central African Regiment, also had batteries of these guns.

Second Boer War (1899–1902)

Boers with guns captured at Kraaipan early in the war

Gun on a field carriage at Mafeking

In this war, the gun was sometimes put on armored trains. Local volunteer groups also used them early in the conflict.

The gun was also used on regular field carriages. These carriages had larger wheels, which helped the gun move better through tall grass and allowed horses to pull it more easily.

Anglo-Aro War

During the battles around Arochukwu, the British Aro Field Force used one 7-pounder gun.

See also

• Battle of Laing's Nek
• List of mountain artillery

Surviving Examples

An example from 1885, at Royal Armoury, Fort Nelson, UK

Today, you can still find several examples of these guns around the world:

• At the Regional Military Training Center in Darulaman Garrison, Kabul, Afghanistan.
• At the Royal Armoury, Fort Nelson, UK.
• At the Royal Artillery Museum, London.
• At the South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg, South Africa.