The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: U.S. 14"/50 Gun (original) (raw)
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U.S. 14"/50 Mark 7 Gun
Naval Historical Center #NH 80528
| Bore | 14"355.6mm |
|---|---|
| Ammunition type | Bagged APC and HC shells |
| Weight of projectile | 1500 lbs680 kg |
| Velocity | 2700 feet per second823 meters per second |
| Maximum elevation | 30 degrees |
| Range | 36,300 yards33,190 meters |
| Firing cycle | 45 seconds |
| Penetration | 13.6" at 12,000 yards34.5 cm at 11,000 m |
This gun was the main armament for the New Mexicosand Tennessees. The gun was initially a flop, with a salvo dispersion of 1352 yards (1236 m) at 23,959 yards (21,908 m) versus 558 yards at 24,850 yards for the contemporary 16"/45. It took five years to trace the high dispersion to the failure of shells to remain properly seated after being rammed into the gun, due to a design that left considerable dead space in the powder chamber. With the problem identified and simple fixes put into place, the gun became as accurate as any other in the American arsenal.
The original Mark 7 were gradually replaced on these warships with the Mark 11, which had a chromium plated bore and other improvements.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015 by Kent G. Budge. Index
