Also known as: naming of guns.
| Naming | By weight of shot, by bore, and by pattern or model |
|---|---|
| Parts | Standard terms for muzzle, chase, trunnions, breech, and bore |
| Use | Consistent description and identification |
Naming the guns
Artillery nomenclature is the settled vocabulary for naming and describing guns. Pieces were named by the weight of the solid shot they fired, as a 12-pounder, by the diameter of the bore, as a 3-inch, and by pattern or model, as the Model 1857 Napoleon, so that a gun could be precisely identified.
The nomenclature also covers the parts of a gun, the muzzle, chase, trunnions, and breech, and the elements of ammunition, giving a common language for the manuals, the records, and the study of ordnance.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- Benton, James G. A Course of Instruction in Ordnance and Gunnery. 2nd ed. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1862.