Table Principal Characteristics of Common Field Artillery

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10 pdr. Parrott Rifles drilling at Ringgold, Georgia, 1864.

SMOOTHBORE ARTILLERY
Field Artillery
Piece
Bore
diameter
(inches)
MaterialLength
of tube
(inches)
Weight
of tube
(pounds)
Weight of
projectile
(pounds)
Weight of
charge
(pounds)
Muzzle
velocity
(ft./sec.)
Range at 5°
elevation
(yards)
M1841 6-pdr. Gun
.
3.67​
Bronze​
60.0​
884​
6.10​
1.25​
1,439​
1,523​
M1841 12-pdr. Gun
.
4.62​
Bronze​
78.0​
1,757​
12.30​
2.50​
1,486​
1,663​
M1841 12-pdr.
Howitzer
4.62​
Bronze​
53.0​
788​
* 8.90​
1.00​
1,054​
1,072​
M1841 24-pdr.
Howitzer
5.82​
Bronze​
64.0​
1,318​
* 18.40​
2.00​
1,060​
1,322​
M1841 32-pdr.
Howitzer
6.40​
Bronze​
75.0​
1,920​
* 25.60​
2.50​
1,100​
1,504​
M1841 12-pdr.
Mountain Howitzer
4.62​
Bronze​
32.9​
220​
* 8.90​
0.50​
650​
900​
M1857 12-pdr. Napoleon
.
4.62​
Bronze​
66.0​
1,227​
12.30​
2.50​
1,440​
1,619​

RIFLED ARTILLERY
Field Artillery
Piece
Bore
diameter
(inches)
MaterialLength
of tube
(inches)
Weight
of tube
(pounds)
Weight of
projectile
(pounds)
Weight of
charge
(pounds)
Muzzle
velocity
(ft./sec.)
Range at 5°
elevation
(yards)
M1861 10-pdr.
Parrott Rifle
** 2.90​
Cast
Iron​
74.0​
890​
9.50​
1.00​
1,230​
1,850​
M1862 20-pdr.
Parrott Rifle
3.67​
Cast
Iron​
84.0​
1,750​
20.00​
2.00​
1,250​
1,900​
M1861 3-inch
Ordnance Rifle
3.00​
Wrought
Iron​
69.0​
820​
9.50​
1.00​
1,230​
1,830​
M1861 14-pdr.
James Rifle
3.67​
Bronze​
60.0​
875​
12.00​
.75​
1,000​
1,700​
M1861 24-pdr.
James Rifle
4.62​
Bronze​
78.0​
1,750​
24.00​
1.50​
1,000​
1,800​
M1861 12-pdr.
Blakely Rifle
3.40​
Steel​
59.0​
800​
10.00​
1.00​
1,250​
1,850​
6-pdr. Whitworth
Breechloading Rifle
2.15​
Steel​
70.0​
700​
6.00​
1.00​
1,550​
2,750​
12-pdr. Whitworth
Breechloading Rifle
2.75​
Steel​
104.0​
1,092​
12.00​
1.75​
1,500​
2,800​
12-pdr. Whitworth
Muzzleloading Rifle
2.75​
Steel​
84.0​
1,000​
12.00​
2.00​
1,600​
3,000​
6-pdr. Wiard Rifle
.
2.56​
Steel​
56.0​
600​
6.00​
0.60​
1,300​
1,800​
10-pdr. Wiard Rifle
.
3.00​
Steel​
58.0​
790​
10.00​
1.00​
1,230​
1,850​
3-inch Armstrong
Muzzleloading Rifle
3.00​
Steel​
76.0​
996​
12.00​
1.25​
1,350​
2,200​
3-inch Armstrong
Breechloading Rifle
3.00​
Steel​
83.0​
918​
12.00​
1.25​
1,300​
2,100​
* Weight of shell.
** The M1861 Parrott had a 2.90 inch bore diameter, the M1863 Parrott had a 3.00 inch bore diameter.
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Last edited:
In reading various correspondence between the key figures in the building of “Pook turtles” for the Mississippi Squadron, USN, I continually see 42 pounder army rifles being mentioned. What were these?
 
In reading various correspondence between the key figures in the building of “Pook turtles” for the Mississippi Squadron, USN, I continually see 42 pounder army rifles being mentioned. What were these?
See this table instead of "Field Artillery":

It's an older Siege Gun, Pre-Civil War design anyway.
 
In reading various correspondence between the key figures in the building of “Pook turtles” for the Mississippi Squadron, USN, I continually see 42 pounder army rifles being mentioned. What were these?
Those are "garrison"/"seige"/"heavy" artillery. The list here is field artillery. You can see that the outer limit was the 20 lb Parrott, the 24 lb James, both at 1750 lbs tube weight, and the M1841 12 lb (1757) and the M1841 32 lb howitzer (1920). The guns you're referring to were well over that. The 20 lb Parrott's weight put it at the extreme end of field artillery because the prescribed team to pull it had to be raised to 8 rather than the usual 6.
 
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