The 3-Inch Ordnance Gun

The 3-inch ordnance gun, a rifled cannon made of wrought iron was, along with the smooth bore Napoleon twelver pounder, the mainstay of field artillery batteries.   While the Napoleon was the weapon of choice for short-range fighting, the ordnance gun was valued for its long range accuracy.   A one lb charge of gunpowder could accurately propel a 10 lb elongated shell a distance of 2,000 yards at only 5 degrees of elevation. Longer distances, but less accuracy, could be achieved with higher elevations.   Artillerymen preferred this piece because it did not have the tendency to explode upon firing as cast iron cannon did.   The North produced more than 1,000 3-inch ordnance rifles during the war at a cost of about $350 each.   Cannon for the South were made by Richmond's Tredegar Iron Works and a foundry in Rome, Georgia. The gun was constructed using sheets of boiler iron wrapped around a core.   This created a weapon which was inexpensive yet so strong that breech reinforcing was unnecessary. Although sometimes called a six pounder rifle or a "Rodman", neither of these terms are accurate.

Name 3-inch ordnance rifle Tube Length 73 inches Tube Weight 816 pounds Bore Diameter 3.0 inches Range 1,850 yards Material Wrought Iron