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Field-gun.

A light cannon designed to accompany troops in their maneuvers on the field of battle. At the commencement of the late civil war in this country, those thus denominated were the 6-pounder, weighing 885 pounds; the 12-pounder, of 1,770 pounds; a light 12-pounder of 1,220 pounds; and the 12, 24, and 32-pounder howitzers, weighing respectively 780, 1,320, and 1,820 pounds. These were all made of bronze. During the war several kinds of rifled field-guns were introduced, but only two maintained their place in the military service; the 3-inch wrought-iron rifle and the Parrott 10-pounder of 2.9-inch caliber, each nearly the weight of the bronze 6-pounder, and carrying an elongated projectile of ten pounds weight. The smooth-bores generally were withdrawn from the field during the war, with the exception of the light 12-pounder, or “Napoleon” gun.

Four smooth-bore guns and two howitzers, or six rifled or six 12-pounder guns with their carriages, caissons, forge, and battery-wagon, constitute a battery. No particular kind of breech-loading gun has been adopted in the United States Service, unless the Gatling machine-gun may be so classed. See battery-gun. Most, if not all, European governments have adopted breech-loaders of various kinds for field service.

The English use the breech-loading Armstrong gun (see Armstrong-gun) for field, fortification, and naval service.

The Prussian army uses two calibers of field-guns, 4 and 6 pounders, both rifled steel breech-loaders. The bore of the barrel extends entirely through. The breech of the 4-pounder is closed by a double wedge sliding in a horizontal slot through the barrel. The 6-pounder is closed by a plug held in place by a large steel pin. The escape of gas is prevented by a gas ring on the Broadwell plan, similar to that in a Sharp's rifle. See gas-ring.

1877.

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