Also known as: gunmetal, bronze ordnance.
| Alloy | Copper with about a tenth part tin |
|---|---|
| Qualities | Tough; wears rather than bursting suddenly |
| Typical guns | 12-pounder Napoleons and field howitzers |
The field-gun metal
Bronze, called gunmetal when used for ordnance, was an alloy of copper with roughly a tenth part tin. Its toughness made it well suited to field guns: a worn or overstrained bronze gun tended to droop or enlarge at the bore rather than shatter, giving warning before failure.
The 12-pounder Napoleon and the field howitzers were the classic bronze guns of the war. Bronze was costlier and softer than iron, so it was reserved for the lighter field pieces while iron served for rifles and heavy 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.
- Gibbon, John. The Artillerist's Manual. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1860.