Also known as: wrought-iron guns.
| Quality | Tough and fibrous; resists bursting |
|---|---|
| Working | Forged and welded rather than cast |
| Chief example | The 3-inch Ordnance Rifle |
A tougher iron
Wrought iron, unlike cast iron, was worked and welded rather than poured, and its fibrous structure made it tough and far more resistant to bursting. The difficulty and cost of forming a gun barrel from it limited its use, but where strength mattered most it excelled.
The 3-inch Ordnance Rifle was its great success: built up from wrought-iron staves and bands welded together and finished to bore, it earned a reputation for reliability that few cast guns could match and became the standard Federal rifled field piece.
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.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: manuals, reports, and reference pages.