Somerset cannon

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The Somerset cannon was a British cannon designed within the Admiralty and manufactured by Armstrong's.

Its genesis was the unexpected failure of the Armstrong breech-loading rifles recently developed and installed on Royal Navy ships. The Somerset was a 6.5 ton 9.2 in (23 cm) calibre smoothbore muzzle-loader, firing a 100 lb (45 kg) shot. With a charge of 33 lb (15 kg) of gunpowder, a steel shot could penetrate 5.5 in (14 cm) of armour at 800 yd (0.73 km).

Providing a mounting which could reliably be worked at sea proved difficult for a piece of this size. Traditional truck carriages were inadequate; historical research revealed that a carriage which was suitable had been suggested by Captain Sir Thomas Hardy (Nelson's Flag Captain) many years before. In this system the gun-carriage remained stationary, and the recoil of the gun was absorbed by a system of sliding friction blocks attached to the carriage and to the gun.

The gun was issued for service, and was mounted in HM Ships Achilles, Research, Favorite and Enterprise, but its performance was so poor, largely due to difficulties in controlling the gun, that it was withdrawn from service.

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British Empire naval weapons of the Victorian era

Smoothbore muzzle-loading cannons|

* 18-pounder
* 24-pounder
* 32-pounder 55 cwt
* 32-pounder gun
* 68-pounder
* Somerset cannon

Smoothbore muzzle-loading shell guns|

* 8-inch
* 10-inch 86 cwt

Mortars|

* 10-inch Blomefield
* 13-inch Blomefield

Howitzers|

* 12-pounder Millar
* 24-pounder Millar

Rifled breechloaders (Armstrong)|

* RBL 9 pounder
* RBL 20-pounder
* RBL 40-pounder
* RBL 7-inch 110-pounder

Rifled muzzle-loaders (Lancaster)|

* 68-pounder Lancaster gun

Rifled muzzle-loaders (converted)|

* RML 64-pounder 71 cwt

Rifled muzzle-loaders (Woolwich)|

* RML 9-pounder 8 cwt
* RML 64-pounder 64 cwt
* RML 7-inch
* RML 8-inch
* RML 9-inch
* RML 10-inch
* RML 11-inch
* RML 12-inch 25-ton
* RML 12-inch 35-ton
* RML 12.5-inch
* RML 16-inch

Breech-loaders (new pattern)|

* BL 4-inch
* BL 5-inch
* BL 6-inch 80-pounder
* BL 6-inch Mk II – VI
* BL 8-inch
* BL 9.2-inch Mk I – VII
* BL 9.2-inch Mk VIII
* BL 10-inch
* BL 12-inch Mk I – VII
* BL 12-inch Mk VIII
* BL 13.5-inch
* BL 16.25-inch

Quick-firing guns|

* QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss
* QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss
* QF 6-pounder Nordenfelt
* QF 12-pounder 12 cwt Mk I
* QF 4-inch
* QF 4.7-inch
* QF 6-inch

Light weapons|

* Gatling gun
* Gardner gun
* Nordenfelt gun
* 1-inch Nordenfelt gun

Torpedoes|

* Whitehead torpedo

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