- Siamese War Elephant
- Breech loading Gingal (Chamber out)
Breech loading Gingal (Chamber out) - Robins’ Balistic Pendulum
The only reliable mode of proving the strength of Gunpowder is, to test it with service charges in the arms for which it is designed; for which purpose the balistic pendulums, are perfectly adapted - Powder Mill
The three ingredients are now ground separately to a very fine powder. The mills which effect this, and incorporate, are so similar, that a description will be given under the head of “Incorporation.” Screening.After being ground in this way, the saltpetre is passed through a slope cylindrical reel, covered with copper sieving wire of 60 meshes to the inch, which, as it revolves, sifts it to the required fineness, being then received in a box or bin underneath. The charcoal and sulphur are likewise passed through similar reels of 32 and 60-mesh wire respectively, and that which remains without passing through, is ground again under the runners. - Light Artillery of Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus abandoned the leather gun, however, in favor of a cast-iron 4-pounder and a 9-pounder demiculverin produced by his bright young artillery chief, Lennart Torstensson. The demiculverin was classed as the "feildpeece" par excellence, while the 4-pounder was so light (about 500 pounds) that two horses could pull it in the field. - M102 Howitzer
- French Garrison Gun
French Garrison Gun (1650-1700). The gun is on a sloping wooden platform at the embrasure. Note the heavy bed on which the cheeks of the carriage rest and the built-in skid under the center of the rear axletree. - Bow strung
The Scythian bow strung - Revolving Barrelled Matchlock
The Chinese of the present day make use of a species of matchlock revolvers, and also of another matchlock, consisting of several barrels, placed on a common stock, diverging from each other, and fired simultaneously. - Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket Pistol
At Dover there is a culverine, presented to Queen Elizabeth, by the States General of Holland, and called Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket-pistol. It is 24 feet long, diameter of bore 4 1⁄2 inches, weight of shot 12lbs.; it was manufactured in 1544, and is mounted on an ornamented iron carriage made in 1827, at the Royal Carriage Department, Woolwich Arsenal. - breechloader
Under the Swedish warrior Gustavus Adolphus, artillery began to take its true position on the field of battle. Gustavus saw the need for mobility, so he divorced anything heavier than a 12-pounder from his field artillery. His famous "leatheren" gun was so light that it could be drawn and served by two men. This gun was a wrought-copper tube screwed into a chambered brass breech, bound with four iron hoops. The copper tube was covered with layers of mastic, wrapped firmly with cords, then coated with an equalizing layer of plaster. A cover of leather, boiled and varnished, completed the gun. Naturally, the piece could withstand only a small charge, but it was highly mobile. - trebuchet
The trebuchet was another war machine used extensively during the Middle Ages. Essentially, it was a seesaw. Weights on the short arm swung the long throwing arm. - New Pattern Eprouvette
The only real use of these eprouvettes is to check and verify the uniformity of a current manufacture of powder, where a certain course of operations is intended to be regularly pursued, and where the strength, tested by means of any instrument, should therefore be uniform. - Old Eprouvette Pendulum
The only real use of these eprouvettes is to check and verify the uniformity of a current manufacture of powder, where a certain course of operations is intended to be regularly pursued, and where the strength, tested by means of any instrument, should therefore be uniform. - Matchlock
Breech loading Gingal (Chamber in) - M102 Howitzer
- The Duke of Wellington
One of the 'Wooden Walls of Old England.' The Duke of Wellington Screw Line-of-Battle Ship. One hundred and thirty-one Guns. - M102 Top view
Top view of M102 105 mm Howitzer attached to truck - Five barrelled Matchlock
The Chinese of the present day make use of a species of matchlock revolvers, and also of another matchlock, consisting of several barrels, placed on a common stock, diverging from each other, and fired simultaneously. - From the wreck of the 'Mary Rose'
- Sighting the M102 Howitzer
Sighting through the pantel, the gunner positions the aiming post by extending his left hand. - Moolik i Meidan
One of the largest cannon now existing is a brass one at Bejapoor, called “Moolik-i-Meidan,” or “The Lord of the Plain.” It was cast in commemoration of the capture of that place by the Emperor Alum Geer, in 1685. Its length is 14ft. 1in., diameter about 5ft. 8in., diameter of bore, 2ft. 4in., interior length of bore, 10ft.; length of chamber unknown; shape of gun nearly “cylindrical;” description of shot, stone. An iron shot for this gun, of proper size, would weigh 1600lbs. It is now lying in a dilapidated circular bastion on the left of the principal gateway of the city. The trunnions are broken off, and there is a ring on each side of it, as well as two Persian inscriptions on the top. It is placed on three heavy beams of wood, packed round with large stones. A number of stone shot, of 2ft. 2in. in diameter, are scattered about. This gun is said to be the heaviest piece of ordnance in the world. It weighs about forty-two tons. - Nordenfeldt Five Barrel Rifle Calibre Machine Gun
- Asiatic Bow
- Hand Grenade No. 1
There are three kinds of bombs: (1) percussion; (2) ignition;, and (3) mechanical. It is not possible to describe every bomb in use under these three headings, but the most typical are selected for description, although it does not follow that they are all in use at the present time, but will give a fairly good idea of what is required. Percussion Bombs. 1. Hand Grenade No. 1. 2. Hand Grenade No. 2, formerly known as Mexican Hand Grenade. 3. Rifle grenade No. 3, formerly known as Hale’s Rifle Grenade. Hand Grenade No. 1 consists of a brass case screwed on to a block of wood, to which is fixed a small cane handle about half way up the case. Outside it is a cast iron ring serrated into 16 parts. The upper end is covered by a moveable cap with a striker pin in the center. On the cap are the words “Remove,” “Travel,” and “Fire” in duplicate. These are marked in red and can be made to correspond with red pointers painted on case. To prepare a bomb, turn cap so that pointer is at “Remove,” take off cap, insert detonator in hole and turn it to the left until the spring on the flange is released and goes into position under the pin; replace cap and turn to “Travel,” which is a safety position. When the bomb is to be thrown, turn cap to “Fire” and then remove safety pin. This bomb explodes on impact, and to insure its falling on the head, streamers are attached. Care should be taken that streamers do not get entangled. The bomb must be thrown well into the air. - 5 inch Rapid-fire gun (Pedestal Mount.)
5 inch Rapid-fire gun (Pedestal Mount.) - 4.7 inch. Breech closing and firing gear
4.7 inch. Breech closing and firing gear - Hand Grenade No. 7. and Ball Hand Grenade
Ignition Bombs. Hand Grenade No. 7—Grenade heavy friction pattern. Hand Grenades Nos. 6 and 7 consist of metal cases filled with T.N.T and a composite explosive and are exactly alike, except that No. 7 contains shrapnel bullets or scrap iron, while No. 6 contains only explosive. At the top of each case is a place to fix the friction igniter, which is supplied separately. When these bombs are to be used, detonator fuse and igniter are put in and firmly fixed. Before throwing the becket on, head of igniter should be pulled smartly off. Ball Hand Grenade. The Ball Hand Grenade consists of a cast iron sphere, 3 inches in diameter, filled with ammonal and closed by a screwed steel plug which has attached to it a covered tube to take detonator in the center of grenade. It is also lighted by a Brock lighter. - Hand Grenade No. 5
Mechanical Bombs. Hand Grenade No. 5, known as Mills’ Hand Grenade. Mills’ Hand Grenade No. 5 weighs about one and one-half pounds and is in constant and steady use at the front, being the best known of all grenades. It consists of an oval cast iron case, containing explosives and serrated to provide numerous missiles on detonation. In the center is a spring striking pin, kept back by a lever or handle, which, in its turn, is held in position by a safety pin. - Gardner five barrel machine gun
Gardner Five-Barrel Machine Gun, on portable tripod, adapted for Naval use. Weight of gun 235 lbs; of mounting 134 lbs. ; calibre .045 ; rapidity of fire, maximum, 1200 shots per minute - A Cross bow man and his Paviser
- Ballista - Caesar covered his landing in Britain with fire from catapults and ballistas.
The ballista had horizontal arms like a bow. The arms were set in rope; a cord, fastened to the arms like a bowstring, fired arrows, darts, and stones. Like a modern field gun, the ballista shot low and directly toward the enemy. - Nordenfeldt Five Barrel Rifle Calibre Machine Gun on field carriage
- 5 Inch R.F. gun (showing breech mechanism)
5 Inch R.F. gun (showing breech mechanism) - Nordenfeldt Ten Barrel Rifle Calibre Machine Gun
- Gardner Two Barrel Machine gun
Gardner Two-Barrel Machine Gun, on cone mounting, for Naval use. Weight of gun 103 lbs; of mounting 153 lbs. ; calibre .045 ; rapidity of fire, maximum, 680 shots per minute - Gardner five barrel machine gun on carriage
- Staff slings, Longbows, Crossbows and Flail
- Krupp's 15.6 Breech-loading Gun (breech open)
Amongst the class of modern cannon, one of the most powerful is Krupp's seventy-one-ton gun. This, like all others of his make, is a breech-loader. Its dimensions are—length, thirty-two feet nine inches; diameter at breech end, five feet six inches; length of bore, twenty-eight feet seven inches; diameter of bore, 15.75 inches; diameter of powder-chamber, 17.32 inches. The internal tube is of two parts, exactly joined; and over this are four cylinders, shrunk on, and a ring round the breech. Its rifling has a uniform twist of one in forty-five. It cannot possibly be fired until the breech is perfectly closed. Its maximum charge is four hundred and eighty-five pounds of powder, and a chilled iron shell of seventeen hundred and eight pounds. - Ancient Screw Breech loader
- Onager
Of machines formed on the sling principle, that called Onager may be regarded as typical of all the rest. Its force entirely depended upon the torsion of a short thick rope, acting upon a lever which described an arc of a vertical circle. The lever had attached to its free extremity a sling, or sometimes it merely terminated in a spoon-shaped cavity. When bent back, it was secured by a catch or trigger, and charged with a stone. On starting the catch by a blow with a mallet, the lever described its arc of a circle with great velocity, and projected the stone to a considerable distance. - Rifle-calibre Maxim Gun
Rifle-calibre Maxim Gun Its rate of firing—770 shots a minute—is at least three times as rapid as that of any other machine gun.
It has only a single barrel, which, when the shot is fired, recoils a distance of three-quarters of an inch on the other parts of the gun.
This recoil sets moving the machinery which automatically keeps up a continuous fire at the extraordinary rate of 12 rounds a second.
Each recoil of the barrel has therefore to perform the necessary functions of extracting and ejecting the empty cartridge,
or bringing up the next full one and placing it in its proper position in the barrel, of cocking the hammer, and pulling the trigger.
As long as the firing continues, these functions are repeated round after round in succession.
The barrel is provided with a water jacket, to prevent excessive heating;
and is so mounted that it can be raised or lowered or set at any angle, or turned horizontally to the left or to the right.
The bore is adapted to the present size of cartridges; and the maximum range is eighteen hundred yards.
The gun can therefore be made to sweep a circle upwards of a mile in radius. - Bow unstrung
The Scythian bow unstrung. - A Cross bow man and Slinger
- A Slinger
- Hooped Cannon in wooden bed
- 12 Inch Disappearing - raised
12 Inch Disappearing - raised - Nordenfelt-Palmcrantz Gun mounted on Ship's Bulwark
Nordenfelt-Palmcrantz Gun mounted on Ship's Bulwark Machine guns have succeeded one another with extraordinary rapidity, and a gun seems only to be adopted in order to be superseded. Thus we have had during the last few years a series of these weapons bearing the names of Gatling, Gardner, Nordenfelt, and Maxim, - Cart of War
- Gatling Gun on Field Carriage
Gatling Gun on Field Carriage These weapons are, as part of the regular equipment of armies, quite modern, though the idea of binding together a quantity of barrels and then discharging them at once, or with great rapidity one after another, is not altogether novel. Sometimes, instead of a number of barrels, one only is required, and the cartridges are discharged from short barrels or chambers which are brought in turn into position with the longer one. - Breech loading Gingal (Chamber in)
- 4.7 inch 120 mm q.f. Gun on centre pivot pedestal mounting
4.7 inch 120 mm q.f. Gun on centre pivot pedestal mounting - Catapult
The catapult was the howitzer, or mortar, of its day and could throw a hundred-pound stone 600 yards in a high arc to strike the enemy behind his wall or batter down his defenses. "In the middle of the ropes a wooden arm rises like a chariot pole," wrote the historian Marcellinus. "At the top of the arm hangs a sling. When battle is commenced, a round stone is set in the sling. Four soldiers on each side of the engine wind the arm down until it is almost level with the ground. When the arm is set free, it springs up and hurls the stone forth from its sling." In early times the weapon was called a "scorpion," for like this dreaded insect it bore its "sting" erect. - 12 inch barbette - non-disappearing
12 inch barbette - non-disappearing - Gun and Querrel
- Hand or Arrow Rocket
- 12 Inch Disappearing
12 Inch Disappearing - 4.7 inch Q.F. (Pedestal Mount.)
4.7 inch Q.F. (Pedestal Mount.) - Small chambered Cannon
- Onager (Unslung)