152mm short gun M. 1867

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian designation :

24-фунтово късо оръдие

Russian designation :

24-фунтовая медная короткая пушка обр. 1867 г.

Calibre :

152.4mm L/14

Weight of the barrel :

1454 kg

Weight of the breech-block :

98.3 kg

Weight of the carriage :

725 kg (without wheels)

Weight in action :

2469 kg

Weight in marching order :

3084 kg

Weight of the platform :

1370 kg

Barrel length :

2.182 m

Barrel grooves

number :

24

depth :

1.78 mm

width :

12.7 mm

Battering charge :

1.64 kg of black powder

Cast iron bomb

length :

2 calibres (296 mm)

weight :

29.2 kg – charge : 620 g of artillery gunpowder

fuze :

percussion fuze of Prussian model : 105 g

muzzle velocity :

219 m/s

max. range :

2774 m

Shrapnel

weight :

35.5 kg – 628 bullets x 21.3 g x 15.9 mm

fuze :

17 sec. time fuze

muzzle velocity :

200 m/s

max. range :

2064 m

Canister bomb

weight :

35.2 kg - charge : 0.1 kg of artillery gunpowder

230 ball x 23.5 g x 15.9 mm

fuze :

7 sec. time fuze

muzzle velocity :

199 m/s

max. range :

1280 m

Case shot

length :

1.55 calibres (236 mm)

weight :

22.1 kg

132 balls x 138 g x 29.5 mm

Elevation :

+ 25° / - 3°

Wheels :

weight :

290.7 kg (with travelling wheels 309 kg)

height :

1473 mm (with travelling wheels 1626 mm)

track :

1524 mm

Transport :

drawn by six horses

Remarks :

Russian bronze fortress gun delivered in 1878, after the war of Liberation. In firing position it should be placed on a wooden platform. It could fire both canister bomb (картечна бомба), an early model of shrapnel, and canister. It could also fire with reduced charges, but, according with Angel Angelov, the Bulgarian gunners were not trained to do it and in addition there were firing table only to fire at full charge.

In 1896 the artillery engineer lt. Stefan Slavchev carried out plans to upgrade these guns. Their breech chambers were modified to use smokeless powder and the guns were equipped with arc sight. The changes were made in the Sofia artillery arsenal.