Sam Burgess
New Member
I visited Crownhill Fort in Cornwall (near Plymouth, UK) last summer>
In a number of the batteries guarding the moats/ditches there where a number of old 32 pdr muzzle loading guns
which had been converted for land use by cutting of the cascable and substituting a breech mechanism which
allows the gun to be breech loaded with a shell/cartridge case loaded with shrapnel or large shot and fired into
the moat area like like a giant shotgun. The rate of fire was not intended to be very high.
All I have discovered is that the rounds where supplied in cases and made of brass.
As Napolean never invaded they really never saw active service.
However the I did find a reference that the the 32 pdr SBBL was used as a saluting gun before WW2
Also a lead that a number were recently re-installed in Malta for use a saluting guns.
What did these shell cases look like?
Where they interchangeable with any other weapon (perhaps as a cut down)?
What was the loading?
Thanks
Sam
In a number of the batteries guarding the moats/ditches there where a number of old 32 pdr muzzle loading guns
which had been converted for land use by cutting of the cascable and substituting a breech mechanism which
allows the gun to be breech loaded with a shell/cartridge case loaded with shrapnel or large shot and fired into
the moat area like like a giant shotgun. The rate of fire was not intended to be very high.
All I have discovered is that the rounds where supplied in cases and made of brass.
As Napolean never invaded they really never saw active service.
However the I did find a reference that the the 32 pdr SBBL was used as a saluting gun before WW2
Also a lead that a number were recently re-installed in Malta for use a saluting guns.
What did these shell cases look like?
Where they interchangeable with any other weapon (perhaps as a cut down)?
What was the loading?
Thanks
Sam
