Also known as: 32-pounder.
| Type | Heavy smoothbore seacoast and garrison gun |
|---|---|
| Bore | 6.4 inches |
| Projectile | About 32 pounds |
| Later use | Many were rifled and banded during the war |
Seacoast smoothbore
The 32-pounder gun was a heavy iron smoothbore firing a 32-pound shot from a 6.4-inch bore, one of the mainstays of seacoast and garrison armament in the permanent forts. It threw solid shot and shell against ships and works at long range.
During the war many 32-pounders were rifled and reinforced with wrought-iron bands to convert them into rifles, extending the life of a large stock of existing smoothbore guns.
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.