Blakely rifle
Encyclopedia
A Blakely rifle is one of a series of muzzle-loading rifled
cannon design by British army officer, Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely. They were widely sold outside of the British army, and were best known for their use by the Confederate States of America
during the American Civil War
.
s of Sir William George Armstrong
. Blakely believed that Armstrong had infringed upon his patents, so when Armstrong became superintendent of the Royal Arsenal
at Woolwich
, Blakely stopped offering his designs to the British Army.
Blakely instead started selling cannons of his design to the Confederate States of America. He did not actually manufacture the guns, but rather contracted out the manufacturing to such companies as Fawcett, Preston, & Company of Liverpool, Vavasseur of London, George Forrester and Company of Liverpool, Low Moor Iron Company, and the Blakely Ordnance Company of London, in which he may have had an interest. In all, the cannon foundries produced some 400 guns to Blakely's design, most being made of iron. Blakely also sold some guns to Russia, and apparently Massachusetts bought eight 9-inch and four 11-inch models.
Because Blakely continued to experiment with designs, there are at least five and possibly ten different designs, many of which came in several variants. There were at least nine varieties of 3.5-inch 12-pounder rifles. The two primary rifling types appear to have involved flat-sided bores or bores with grooves cut in them into which flanges on the shells would fit.
One famous Blakely rifle was "The Widow Blakely", a 7.5-inch rifle that the Confederates used during their defense of Vicksburg, Mississippi
, in 1863. On May 22, 1863, a shell exploded while in the gun's barrel while the widow was firing at a Union gunboat. The explosion only took part of the end of the muzzle off. The Confederates cut what had been a 124-inch-long barrel back to 100 inches and continued to use the rifle as a mortar
until Vicksburg fell.
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
cannon design by British army officer, Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely. They were widely sold outside of the British army, and were best known for their use by the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
History
Blakely tried to interest the British government in his designs but without success. His designs involved a cast-iron core with wrought-iron or steel banding to reinforce the breech. The design is similar to that of the Armstrong gunArmstrong Gun
The term Armstrong Gun was primarily used to describe the unique design of the rifled breech-loading field and heavy guns designed by Sir William Armstrong and manufactured in England from 1855 by the Elswick Ordnance Company and the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich...
s of Sir William George Armstrong
William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong
William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong CB, FRS was an effective Tyneside industrialist who founded the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing empire.-Early life:...
. Blakely believed that Armstrong had infringed upon his patents, so when Armstrong became superintendent of the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, Blakely stopped offering his designs to the British Army.
Blakely instead started selling cannons of his design to the Confederate States of America. He did not actually manufacture the guns, but rather contracted out the manufacturing to such companies as Fawcett, Preston, & Company of Liverpool, Vavasseur of London, George Forrester and Company of Liverpool, Low Moor Iron Company, and the Blakely Ordnance Company of London, in which he may have had an interest. In all, the cannon foundries produced some 400 guns to Blakely's design, most being made of iron. Blakely also sold some guns to Russia, and apparently Massachusetts bought eight 9-inch and four 11-inch models.
Because Blakely continued to experiment with designs, there are at least five and possibly ten different designs, many of which came in several variants. There were at least nine varieties of 3.5-inch 12-pounder rifles. The two primary rifling types appear to have involved flat-sided bores or bores with grooves cut in them into which flanges on the shells would fit.
Variations
The foundries manufactured Blakely rifles in 2.5-inch (6-pounder), 2.9-inch, 3.5-inch (12-pounder), 3.75-inch (16-pounder), 4-inch (18-pounder), 4.5-inch (20-pounder), 6.4-inch (100-pounder), 7-inch (120-pounder), 7.5-inch (150-pounder), 8-inch (200-pounder), 9-inch (250-pounder), 11-inch and 12.75-inch (450-pounder shells or 650-pound solid shot) bores.One famous Blakely rifle was "The Widow Blakely", a 7.5-inch rifle that the Confederates used during their defense of Vicksburg, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, in 1863. On May 22, 1863, a shell exploded while in the gun's barrel while the widow was firing at a Union gunboat. The explosion only took part of the end of the muzzle off. The Confederates cut what had been a 124-inch-long barrel back to 100 inches and continued to use the rifle as a mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
until Vicksburg fell.
External links
- Alexander Blakely – The Story of Captain Blakely and his Cannon