Lt.Arty No marking on this cannon.

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Joined
Aug 25, 2012
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They converted some of the 3 inch ordnance rifles after the war. Breech end photo and bore measurements would be helpful.
 
I think this may be a 3.2 in Breech Loading Rifle (Converted) of 1881, or a gun related to that development, if the wiki is to trusted. Those were sleeved to a 81mm bore as an experiment, as the 3in Ordinance rifle was being phased out by 1881. Such remanufacturing would explain the lack of markings... the muzzle damage not so much. Maybe it was damaged during remanufacture or during a test?
 
This is at Battle of Bentonville park. Muzzle not damaged but bird droppings on the muzzle.

I was hurrying today at Bentonville trying to get to the visitor center befor it closed and jumped out to look at this gun. If I remember right it was a muzzle loading gun, but it appeared to be converted with a sleeve inserted. If so were muzzle loaded cannons still used in the 1880s?
 
taking a closer look at where paint is missing, the condition of the groves, and what appears to be a slight gap filled with something between the sleeve and bore, I'm inclined to say this is a cast iron reproduction with a liner epoxied in the bore.
 
Without better photos of the entire cannon to include the trunnions, breach etc it's a guessing game. I do see some rust in the bore.
 
Say whatever you will about the gun, but that first photo is a winner. There is something captivating with the bleak weather, the vacant house across the way, and the whole focus upon the cannon. I appreciate photos that draw me in, and make me want to visit.
Lubliner.
 
The piece in the picture is on a metal display carriage. Check to see how far the rifling extends into the bore. Many sleeves for modern cannon only have rifling near the muzzle. It is a safety precaution. When #1 sponges the bore after a shot, #3 plugs the vent with their thumb. That creates a vacuum when the sponge is withdrawn. Done properly, there is a full bodied pop-gun Boomph! as the sponge leaves the muzzle. The vacuum starves any lingering embers & prevents a premature detonation. Needless to say, a smooth surface is less likely to harbor debris that could cause an accident. It is also much cheaper to rifle 12" of the bore. In some display pieces, the bore only extends about 18" for the same money saving reason.
 
I'm wondering if was a smooth-bore conversion job. The end of the sleeve looks like the start of some fairly heavy rifling.
Looks kinda generic to me.
But what advantage of doing all this work on a small gun?
 
I can not be the only person to visit the Battle of Bentonville NC. someone else must have seen this cannon and knows something about it.
 
I'm wondering if was a smooth-bore conversion job. The end of the sleeve looks like the start of some fairly heavy rifling.
Looks kinda generic to me.
But what advantage of doing all this work on a small gun?
Display pieces, like this one, are cast solid in aluminum. A short bore is milled out & a short section of rifled sleeve is inserted just for looks. Bronze guns are what looks like powder coated to me. I don't know this particular piece, but it has the look of a display item.
 
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