QF 14 pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt naval gun
| QF 14 pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt naval gun | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | QF 14 pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt naval gun |
| Manufacturer country: |
 United Kingdom
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| Developer / Manufacturer: | Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company |
| Start of production: | 1894 |
| Weapon Category: | cannon |
| Technical specifications | |
| Pipe length: | L45: 3.429 |
| Caliber : |
3 inch (76.2 mm) |
The QF 14 pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt naval gun was a 3 inch (76 mm) caliber naval gun . QF stands for Quick Fire (Schnellfeuergeschütz), 14 pounder for the bullet weight, Maxim-Nordenfelt for the manufacturer and naval gun (ship gun) for the primary purpose (the designation of British guns at the time of construction was not uniform, guns were based on the bullet weight , the weight of the gun or the caliber). The cannon was largely produced by Maxim-Nordenfelt (later Vickers, Sons and Maxim ) for export. It was in competition with the QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun and QF 12 pounder 18 cwt naval gun developed by Elswick .
commitment
The cannons were used on ships of foreign fleets.
Two of the guns were scaffolded on the HMVS Cerberus in 1897 . The Cerberus was a monitor for the Navy of the British colony of Victoria, built in England by the Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company . In 1900 the cannons were dismantled from the ship, placed on field racks and used by the colony's naval contingent during the Boxer Rebellion . In contrast to the other cannons, cartridge ammunition ( QF fixed rounds ) was used in these two examples . The grenade and propellant charge were combined in one cartridge and loaded together. Usually, British rapid-fire cannons loaded the propellant and grenade separately. This type of ammunition was called Separate loading QF . After the end of the fighting, the two cannons were left behind in China , as the standard 12-pounder guns were more powerful and more manageable. In use, these cannons fired 14 pound shells with a 6.5 pound gunpowder propellant . The muzzle velocity was 640 m / s.
Coastal artillery
Such guns were used in the coastal fortifications of Fort Nepean , Fort Pearce and Fort Queenscliff in Victoria.
The Royal Navy originally did not procure cannons of this type. However, in 1903 the British government bought the Swiftsure- class battleships ordered by Chile . Each of these ships carried fourteen 14-pounders. During their service, these cannons fired the same shells weighing 5.67 kg (12.5 lb) as the rest of the British 12-pounder .
