Artillery Materials

Attention class!

Today's lesson is on the materials used in the construction of artillery barrels. While there were others known to have been used, the three most common were bronze, cast iron and wrought iron.

Bronze artillery included 6 pounders and the more famous 12 pound Napoleon. Bronze had the advantage of being easier to cast and being relatively malleable. It was also the most expensive of the three common types.

Wrought iron was used for complete construction of the 3 inch Ordnance Rifle as well as forming the reinforcement band on the breech of the Parrott Rifles or the Confederate made Brooke Rifle. Wrought iron is not cast, but welded together from iron bars. Significantly stronger than cast iron guns, the Ordnance Rifle suffered only one failure during the course of the war.

Cast iron was the cheapest and quickest construction material. The barrel is cast from iron as implied by the name. Problem with it is cast iron is brittle. Parrott and Brooke Rifles were known to burst without warning, often with only a few rounds due to weakness of material.

Cast iron would shatter into fragments, making it the most dangerous type. Bronze guns would stretch and often vent the failure straight up.

While used for the duration, cast iron guns were placed into storage after the Civil War, rarely to see service again due their inherent danger.

Class dismissed!