Also known as: Dahlgren gun.
| Type | Iron smoothbore naval gun |
|---|---|
| Designer | John A. Dahlgren |
| Shape | Thick, curved breech giving a bottle form |
| Service | United States Navy |
The Navy's shell gun
The Dahlgren shell gun was the iron smoothbore designed by John A. Dahlgren for the United States Navy, made in sizes such as the 9-inch and 11-inch. Its breech was thickened and curved to match the pressures within, giving the gun its characteristic bottle shape.
Firing shell as well as shot, Dahlgren guns armed many Federal warships and became one of the defining weapons of the wartime Navy.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: cannon identification pages, manuals, and reports.
- 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.