Also known as: 42-pounder.
| Type | Heavy smoothbore seacoast gun |
|---|---|
| Bore | 7 inches |
| Projectile | About 42 pounds |
| Later use | Frequently rifled and banded |
Heavy seacoast gun
The 42-pounder gun was one of the largest of the older seacoast smoothbores, firing a 42-pound shot from a 7-inch bore. It armed permanent coastal fortifications, where its weight was no drawback and its heavy shot could reach and damage warships.
Like the 32-pounder, many 42-pounders were rifled and banded during the war, a common expedient that turned an aging heavy smoothbore into a rifled gun able to fire elongated projectiles.
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.