Existing comment:
"My idea was, to have a gun that should generally throw shells far and accurately, with the capacity to fire solid shot when needed."
-- Lt. John A. Dahlgren
A Bigger Bang:
As improvements were made in ship propulsion, simultaneous improvements in ship armament occurred, engendered in part by the reduced number of guns that paddle-wheel steamers could mount in their broadside. One approach was to build bigger guns that could fire heavier projectiles.
Other experiments focused on developing projectiles that exploded on contact. An elongated, bullet shape allowed for heavier projectiles. Adding rifling, or grooves, inside the gun barrel imparted spin so the projectile did not tumble. These made a contact fuse built into the nose of the projectile a practical way of detonating the explosive charge. |