The 6 inch Four Ton Armstrong Rifled Muzzle Loader.
6 inch Four Ton Armstrong Rifled Muzzle Loader.
In 1882 Elswick Works supplied to Fort Lytton, Brisbane two 6 inch W G Armstrong rifled muzzle loading guns , new pattern, weighing four tons, together with wrought iron carriage and platform, set of racers etc 100 rounds of ammunition and powder for £2803.
These are gun 3777, and 3781.
They were similar in size, length and construction to the 6 in 80 pdr 80 cwt BL and had polygroove rifling but were Muzzle Loaders with small central firing gear.
The guns were mounted at Fort Lytton in Gun Pits 1 & 2 in Armstrong Protected Barbettes and first fired in July 1884 and were found to be “far from Satisfactory”
1886 Armstrongs who by now were now Armstrong Mitchell & Co were asked if the two Muzzle loaders could be converted to 6 inch breech loading of the service pattern and Captain Noble answered they could be converted at a cost of £150 per gun not including transport.
In 1887 Barrel No 3777 was dispatched to UK to Armstrong Mitchell on steamer Wahroonga.
Gun no 3781 was also sent back to UK on the RMS Quetta the following year.
(Subsequently in 1890 RMS Quetta struck an uncharted rock off Queenslands far north Cape York peninsula, and sank killing 134 of the 292 people on board.
Following conversion and proof firing they returned to Australia on SS Jumna and were allocated to the defences of Magazine Island Townsville, Queensland, where by 1892 they were recorded as operational
In 1891 following the bursting of a six inch four ton gun on HMS Cordelia it was decided that converted guns should be chase hooped, but that at £250 per gun, with part worn A tubes and the need to ship back and forth from/to England again, it was decided not to continue but to use the guns just for training.
Gun no 3781 was shipped to Brisbane and now rests at Fort Lytton.
Gun no 3777 remains at Kissing Point Townsville together with a 6in Armstrong 5 ton MkV BL gun number 7469 of 1891 on Armstrong Mitchell Carriage Barbette Mk 1 no 6166
Very many thanks to David Spethman and Harry Lynas of Fort Lytton Historical Association for their kind assistance with this information.
Also acknowledge J.S. Robinson’s “Arms In The Service of Queensland. 1859-1901”
See also
The 6 inch Four Ton Armstrong Rifled Muzzle Loader, no 3777 Townsville
www.flickr.com/photos/9977224@N06/2277884972/in/album-721...
The 8 inch 12.5 ton Armstrong 1882 Rifled Muzzle Loader Nos 3932, 3933
Kangaroo Bluff, Hobart. Tasmania
www.flickr.com/photos/9977224@N06/1655670871/in/album-721...
Fort Lytton
Brisbane
Queensland.
The 6 inch Four Ton Armstrong Rifled Muzzle Loader.
6 inch Four Ton Armstrong Rifled Muzzle Loader.
In 1882 Elswick Works supplied to Fort Lytton, Brisbane two 6 inch W G Armstrong rifled muzzle loading guns , new pattern, weighing four tons, together with wrought iron carriage and platform, set of racers etc 100 rounds of ammunition and powder for £2803.
These are gun 3777, and 3781.
They were similar in size, length and construction to the 6 in 80 pdr 80 cwt BL and had polygroove rifling but were Muzzle Loaders with small central firing gear.
The guns were mounted at Fort Lytton in Gun Pits 1 & 2 in Armstrong Protected Barbettes and first fired in July 1884 and were found to be “far from Satisfactory”
1886 Armstrongs who by now were now Armstrong Mitchell & Co were asked if the two Muzzle loaders could be converted to 6 inch breech loading of the service pattern and Captain Noble answered they could be converted at a cost of £150 per gun not including transport.
In 1887 Barrel No 3777 was dispatched to UK to Armstrong Mitchell on steamer Wahroonga.
Gun no 3781 was also sent back to UK on the RMS Quetta the following year.
(Subsequently in 1890 RMS Quetta struck an uncharted rock off Queenslands far north Cape York peninsula, and sank killing 134 of the 292 people on board.
Following conversion and proof firing they returned to Australia on SS Jumna and were allocated to the defences of Magazine Island Townsville, Queensland, where by 1892 they were recorded as operational
In 1891 following the bursting of a six inch four ton gun on HMS Cordelia it was decided that converted guns should be chase hooped, but that at £250 per gun, with part worn A tubes and the need to ship back and forth from/to England again, it was decided not to continue but to use the guns just for training.
Gun no 3781 was shipped to Brisbane and now rests at Fort Lytton.
Gun no 3777 remains at Kissing Point Townsville together with a 6in Armstrong 5 ton MkV BL gun number 7469 of 1891 on Armstrong Mitchell Carriage Barbette Mk 1 no 6166
Very many thanks to David Spethman and Harry Lynas of Fort Lytton Historical Association for their kind assistance with this information.
Also acknowledge J.S. Robinson’s “Arms In The Service of Queensland. 1859-1901”
See also
The 6 inch Four Ton Armstrong Rifled Muzzle Loader, no 3777 Townsville
www.flickr.com/photos/9977224@N06/2277884972/in/album-721...
The 8 inch 12.5 ton Armstrong 1882 Rifled Muzzle Loader Nos 3932, 3933
Kangaroo Bluff, Hobart. Tasmania
www.flickr.com/photos/9977224@N06/1655670871/in/album-721...
Fort Lytton
Brisbane
Queensland.