The RML 64-pounder 64 cwt gun is a
Rifled, Muzzle Loading (RML) naval, field or fortification
artillery gun manufactured in England in the 19th century,[2] which fired a projectile weighing approximately 64 pounds (29 kg). "64
cwt" refers to the gun's weight rounded up to differentiate it from other "64-pounder" guns.
Description
The calibre of 6.3 in (16 cm) was chosen to enable it to fire remaining stocks of spherical shells originally made for the obsolete 32 pounder guns if necessary.
Mark I (adopted in 1864) and Mark II (adopted 1866) guns, and Mark III guns made from 1867 – April 1871 had
wrought-iron inner "A" tubes surrounded by wrought-iron coils.
Mark III guns made after April 1871 were built with toughened
mild steel "A" tubes, and earlier Mark III guns were re-tubed with steel and were classified as a siege gun in land service. Remaining guns with iron tubes were used for sea service.[4]
Rifling of all guns consisted of 3 grooves, with a uniform twist of 1 turn in 40 calibres (i.e. 1 turn in 252 in (640 cm)).[4]
Ammunition
The gun's standard shell was "
common shell", for firing on troops in cover, ships and buildings, weighed 57.4 pounds (26.0 kg) when empty with a bursting charge of 7.1 pounds (3.2 kg).
Shrapnel shells could also be fired; a 66.6 pounds (30.2 kg) shell with a 9-ounce (260 g) bursting charge propelling 234 metal balls.[5]
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abcA Guide to Fort Glanville, South Australia. Semaphore Park, South Australia: The Fort Glanville historical association. 2000.
^1,252 feet/second firing a 64-pound projectile with 8 lb (3.6 kg) R.L.G. gunpowder is quoted for wrought-iron tubed guns in "Treatise on Construction and Manufacture of Service Ordnance, 1879", page 363. 1,390 ft/s (420 m/s) firing a 65-pound projectile using 10 lb (4.5 kg) R.L.G.4 gunpowder is quoted for Mk III steel tube gun in Table XII in "Text Book of Gunnery 1902".
^
abTreatise on Construction and Manufacture of Service Ordnance, 1879, pages 292, 261-265
A live round was found in the garden of a couple living in Pembrokeshire, UK and detonated by the local Bomb Squad. Here is a link to the news report: Milford Haven: Garden ornament turns out to be live bomb
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67602627