The 64pr. 64 cwt gun Mark III
The 64pr. 64 cwt gun Mark III
The 64 pr. gun was the first
muzzle-loading rifled piece introduced into the service. It was the
heavy gun of its day and superseded the B.L. wedge gun of about the
same weight. The adoption of the muzzle loading guns was decided upon
in 1864 after years of experiment and trial and the calibre of
6.3-inches was chosen so that these guns might be able to fire 32pr.
spherical shot. Some 64pr. guns in the service were
conversions from 32pr. SB guns and 8-inch shell guns on the Palliser
principle. This particular gun is a 64pr. of 64cwt. built up gun. The
64 pr. gun passed through three changes of pattern the one fired today
being a Mark III with steel barrel. The manufacture of the Mark III was
commenced in 1867 after it was proved that this system of construction
was stronger than that in which a forged breech was used.
Standing carriage
The carriage on which it stands is a
common standing carriage, a conversion from the 8-inch naval carriage.
It consists of two brackets of elm, a transom of elm, two axletrees of
oak and four trucks. The standing garrison carrige was usually only
employed for positions flanking the ditch of a fort or for embrasures
in barrack rooms. perhaps at the gorge, or rear of a fort. They were
not to be used on the front faces of a fort. It required a ground platform of wood, stone or concrete 18ft. by 12
feet. with a slope of 1/24. The gun fired over a sill two feet three
inches high. By the late 1880s 64 prs, were mounted on rear chock
carriages rather than garrison standing carriages because of their
recoil.
Ammunition
Three types of ammuniton was employed by this
nature of gun. Case shot was for use against troops in masses, for
flanking ditches with an effective range of not much more than 350
yards. Shrapnel was for use against troops in the open at distances
beyond case shot range. Common shells were for use against troops
behind cover, agianst wooden ships or buildings. The 64pr. of 64cwt.
fired a common shell which weighed 57lbs 6oz when empty. It had a
bursting charge of 7lbs 2 oz.It also fired a shrapnel shell, which when
filled with 234 mixed metal balls (14 to the pound) weighed 66 lbs 90z
and a bursting charge of 90z. Case shot, weighed 49lb 14.5oz when
filled with eight-ounce sand shot packed in clay and sand.A full charge
for the Mark III was 10lbs of powder. The cartridge bags were of white
serge but later replaced with silk.
Drill.
A detachment of 9 gun nos is usually employed for the 64pr. on a standing carriage.
No.1 commands, directs or superintends boring and fixing fuzes, directs the gun into the line of fire in running up, and lays.
No.2 searches, sponges, rams home, runs up elevates and traverses.
No.3 loads, uncaps or removes safety pin from fuze when in the bore, rams home, runs up elevates and traverses.
No.4 atends to side arms a supplies them to 2 runs up and attends to the elevating screw and coin in laying.
No.5 attends to the vent, runs up, makes ready and fires.
No.6 supplies 3 with cartridges.
No.7 attends to fuzes and brings up projectiles.
No.8 attends to cartridge store and serves out acartridges to 6.
No.9 attends to shell store, issues shells, tubes and fuzes.
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