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American Civil War – Field Gun with smoothbore and rifle barrels

  • Product Code: AE100
  • Availability: In Stock

£2.90

This product is sold as a kit and unpainted. 

Additional Images.

Image 1-3 show a comparison of this Jacklex ACW gun product with 1:72 plastic guns from four different manufacturers. As you can see the metal Jacklex model is very compatible with 1:72 plastic equivalents. Indeed, some have commented on the accuracy and authenticity of the Jaclex model, in particular the 14 spoke wheels and the Napoleon and rifled barrels.

1. Guns comparison, from left to right. Strelets, Italeri, Jacklex, Airfix and Imex.

2. Guns comparison, from left to right. Italeri, Strelets, Jacklex, Airfix, Imex and Strelets.

3. Guns comparison, from left to right. Strelets, Strelets, Italeri, Jacklex, Airfix and Imex.


CIVIL WAR ARTILLERY 

Civil War field artillery was organised into batteries. Union batteries usually consisted of six of the same kind of gun while Confederate batteries were often four guns with a mix of types. A well trained battery could come into action and fire its first shot in well under a minute. Good smoothbore crews could fire two aimed shots per minute with fixed ammunition. Rifle crews were slower because of the additional steps in loading. When firing canister the rate of fire could be doubled. Four types of projectile were generally used by field artillery. Solid shot, common shell, case shot and canister. 

The barrels in this metal kit represent the 12-pounder field gun model 1857 (Napoleon) and the 10-pounder Parrott field rifle gun. The smoothbore gun was developed in France in the 1850's and was named for Napoleon III. It was designed to fire shot, shell, case shot and canister. It was popular for its manoeuvrability and overall effectiveness at long and close range. Effective range was approximately 1200 yards. In 1863 Napoleon's made up approximately 39% of the guns used by both armies in the eastern campaigns. The Parrott rifle was patented in 1861 by Robert P Parrott and cast by him as superintendent of the West Point Foundry. Whilst not the best rifles to be used they were available, inexpensive and accurate.  The most common ammunition used was common shell and case shot but solid iron bolts and canister were also used. The latter was not as effective as when fired from a smoothbore.   

Source. 'Cannons, An Introduction to Civil War Artillery' by Dean S Thomas, 1985. 


Jacklex Miniatures 20mm American Civil War metal wargame figures.