RML 8-inch 9-ton gun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RML 8-inch 9-ton gun |
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Gundeck of HMS Northumberland
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| Type | Naval gun Coast defence gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1866–190? |
| Used by | Royal Navy |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Royal Arsenal |
| Unit cost | £568 |
| Variants | Mk I – Mk III |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9 long tons (9.1 t) |
| Barrel length | 118 inches (3.0 m) bore + chamber |
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| Shell | 174 pounds 12 ounces (79.3 kg) |
| Calibre | 8-inch (203.2 mm) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,420 feet per second (430 m/s) |
The British RML 8-inch 9-ton guns were large cannons used by the Royal Navy and for protecting coasts in the late 1800s. These guns were called "muzzle-loading" because they were loaded from the front of the barrel. They were also "rifled," meaning they had special grooves inside the barrel. These grooves made the cannonball spin, which helped it fly straighter and hit targets more accurately.
Contents
Design and Construction
How the Gun Was Built
These powerful guns were designed in the 1860s. The first version, called Mark I, used a special building method called the Armstrong system. This system involved a strong steel tube wrapped in many layers of wrought-iron coils. This made the gun very strong but also quite expensive to build.
Over time, the design was made simpler to save money. The Mark II and Mark III versions used fewer coils. The Mark III, for example, had just a few main parts: an inner tube, an outer tube, a breech coil (at the back of the gun), and a screw called a cascabel screw.
Inside the Barrel: Rifling
The inside of the gun's barrel had special grooves, known as "rifling." This was called the "Woolwich" pattern. It had four wide, shallow grooves. These grooves were not straight; they twisted as they went down the barrel. This twist made the cannonball spin as it left the gun, like a football thrown with a spiral. Spinning made the cannonball fly much more accurately over long distances.
Ammunition Used
The RML 8-inch 9-ton guns mainly fired special cannonballs that had "studs" on them. These studs fit into the rifling grooves inside the barrel. This connection helped the cannonball spin correctly as it was fired.
Later on, a newer type of cannonball became available. This one didn't have studs. Instead, it was pointed and had a special "gas-check" system. This system made sure that the gases from the explosion pushed the cannonball efficiently, even without studs.
See also
- List of naval guns
