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Warmatrix

War Matrix - Armstrong gun

Geopolitical Race 1830 CE - 1880 CE, Weapons and technology

Original 1855 Armstrong gun
Original 1855 Armstrong gun
The Armstrong gun was the first breech-loaded rifled field gun. It was designed by sir William Armstrong, an English scientist and inventor. He competed with other inventors like Lancaster and Whitworth and won the favor of the army generals. The first Armstrong gun was produced in 1855 CE. The early models were light 3-pounders, but later (much) heavier calibers were constructed too.
The introduction of the rifled musket increased the range at which troops could effectively shoot at each other. Suddenly there was a danger that small hand-held guns could outgun field artillery. The answer was to adopt rifling for artillery too. The Armstrong gun used a cylindrical shell, similar to the Minié ball of the rifled musket. Unlike its predecessors, the barrel was not made of cast iron, but wrought iron, formed of 'built-up' concentric layers. The rifled barrel increased range and accuracy; the construction allowed for a lighter gun and carriage; loading from the rear shortened reload times.
Armies liked the advantages of the rifling, but were uncomfortable with the disadvantages. Breech-loading caused the exhaust of dangerous gases that could ignite and explode. The new guns were also more expensive. So they soon reverted to muzzle-loading. In 1877 CE the French colonel Charles Ragon de Bange solved the problem of incomplete obturation from which the Armstrong gun suffered. This caused a re-adoption of breech-loading and its final breakthrough. In the following decade other engineers made further improvements, but the main innovations of the Armstrong gun were kept.