if you ever read books about heavy naval  rifles, you think how it's like schuetzen shooting, the shell is breech-seated and powder bags(duplex loaded with black powder igniter) follow.Was watching "Sink the Bismark" the other day and thinking about all the theories i've read about the loss of the "Hood".Did some thinking about the fact that everyone has it wrong, the people who write this stuff have never fired a rifle, let alone a cannon.Think if there is FOUR POUNDS of black powder attached to each 100# powder bag, it's not to be wonder at that it all blew up so fast, the flash would ignite the BP before you could thik about it.SO effectivity IT'S ALL BP, no wonder Battleships blew up in action, i'm amazed they didn't ALL BLOW UP.BP is so easy to ignite, i burned my fingers playing with it once.Learned a lesson, too, been carefull every since.

Very interesting stuff indeed!  Everything a fella wants to know about those big varmit guns is here: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

For a short while in 1961, I was an ammo handler for a single 5"-38 caliber Dual Purpose mount on USS Kearsarge, an Essex-class carrier dating from 1945.  The whole gun was a giant-scale Sharps Borchardt fitted with a hydraulic rammer and an automatic ejector.  The projectiles were breech-seated.  The cases were brass and looked for all the world like giant 38-55 cases, about 2 1/2 feet long.  All they carried was the powder charge.

There was a practice mount, only an action, on the fantail.  We practiced loading as a team there, using dummy ammo.  We got up to 5 or 6 rounds per minute on the practice mount.  IIRC, the projectiles weighed about 50 pounds, maybe a bit more.  The cartridge cases were lighter, maybe 35 pounds.  I was pretty wimpy, so I mostly handled the cartridge cases.

When you see those WW2 films of the Navy shooting at the Japanese planes and the sky is filled with the black bursts of heavy AA fire, remember that every shot was fired with breech-seated projectiles.

We only fired a few live rounds, but they shook the whole carrier.  I was amazed that the recoil from the 4 guns on the starboard side broke the filaments of about 1/3 of the light bulbs on the ship.

Remember the Iowa turret explosion.
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"During its review, Sandia determined that a significant overram of the powder bags into the gun had occurred as it was being loaded and that the overram could have caused the explosion. A subsequent test by the Navy of the overram scenario confirmed that an overram could have caused an explosion in the gun breech. Sandia's technicians also found that the physical evidence did not support the Navy's theory that an electronic or chemical detonator had been used to initiate the explosion.

In response to the new findings, the Navy, with Sandia's assistance, reopened the investigation. In August 1991, Sandia and the GAO completed their reports, concluding that the explosion was likely caused by an accidental overram of powder bags into the breech of the 16-inch gun. The Navy, however, disagreed with Sandia's opinion and concluded that the cause of the explosion could not be determined. The Navy expressed regret to Hartwig's family and closed its investigation."

In '68 the New Jersey fired support for the Marines South of Danang. You had to have several clicks clearance  between you and the target, and even then it sounded like box cars being hurled thru the air over you.
Kurt

The base-band engraved in the rifling - sealing.

Base band was copper or perhaps brass.

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I was U.S.M.C. artilleryman 1964 -68. Spent most of my time with a 105mm towed battery (Echo Battery, 12 Marines) in RVN. More often that not, we had 8“, 155 gun, and 155mm howitzer batteries for support.

Great pieces of equipment: the 8” was dead-nuts on; the 155 mm gun had the range. But what was a real eye opener -- and sometimes a cure for constipation -- was when the rotating band on either an 8” or 155mm would come off in flight. We could hear the shells the pass overhead, followed up by a “whoop-whoop’” noise from the rotating band. And Gawd only knew where it was ‘gonna’ land or would hit. Had a few land inside the battery perimeter -- nasty looking jagged and sharp….

Cat: yeah the old 155mm is impressive. And more so when the base piece fired for precision destruction. 

Myself, I often wonder how the Five-Five gun crews did it -- manhandling the firing plate, shifting trails, 2 men on the loading tray, a rammer, etc. Those old toweds were a great deal of work and sweat, even with a full crew. Same with the old towed 8” and 155 guns.  At least with an ‘05, two could shift trails and only one to load.  The battery I was with got to be fast. I heard a few of the FO’s say about Echo-- 2 in the air; 1 in the breech.

Here's what I do when not fooling around with BPCR's or italian motorcycles:

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1200 yard target and trophy from 2010 Camp Grayling Historic Artillery Match.  Target 4x6',  9 hits for 12, no sighters, (plus one that I dead center crossfired on my buddy's target nest door... DOH!!!)

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Quick little action clip of my Model 1861 10-Pdr Parrott Rifle in recoil with a full military load of 1 lb FG GOEX and 10.25 lb projectile.  From the same match. 

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