Fort Moultrie National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Fort Sumter National Monument

How Does A Cannon Work?

Tube Top View

Tube Chassis
Muzzle Trunnions Vent Cascabel
Breech
Carriage

Introduction People have been fascinated with guns since the invention of artillery in the Middle
Ages. This basic guide explains how 19th century seacoast cannon operated, and the
types of projectiles they fired. These guns are muzzle loaders; everything entered and
left through the muzzle. The gun has three basic components: the tube, the carriage, and
the chassis. The tube rests on the carriage, which supports it for firing and controls recoil
(energy released when the gun fires). Most tubes are made of cast iron. The tube and
carriage rests on a chassis, which permits the movement of the cannon left, right,
forward or back to aim, load and fire. All together, this weapon is called a piece.

Smoothbore Smoothbore guns typically fired spherical Spherical case shot are similar
projectiles; the classic round cannonball. to shells, but also contain
Ammunition consists of five kinds: solid shot, shell, shrapnel (musket balls). These
spherical case shot, canister, and grape shot. are antipersonnel rounds,
timed to explode in front of
Solid shot are used for the target while airborn.
puncturing walls, buildings and
ships. When heated they Canister and grape shot turns a cannon into a
become hot shot, used for shotgun, killing men and destroying objects alike.
starting fires.

Canister
Shells are hollow, with a charge
of gunpowder inside. The
powder is ignited by a timed
fuse, which lights when the gun
is fired. Shells are generally
used to set fires.
Stand of grape

Rifle Rifled cannon fire cylidrical, bullet-shaped

projectiles. Rifling is a process where the gun’s bore
is cut with spiraling grooves. The rifling spins the
projectile as it is fired, improving accuracy and
range. Rifled shells were used, for example, to
burrow into a brick wall and then explode, causing
much more damage than a simple solid shot.

Load... The process of loading and firing begins with the a head about one inch smaller than the bore. The
cannon out of battery, meaning the tube and sponge-head, covered in wool, is dipped in water.
carriage are as far back on the chassis as possible. The sponge is driven to the breech (the end of the
Up to eight artillerists make up a gun crew. bore opposite the muzzle), turned several times
each way and withdrawn.
The first order of business is to extinguish any
sparks remaining in the bore after the last firing. The next step is to insert a cartridge, a bag of black
This is done with a sponge, a long wooden pole with powder. The bag was commonly made of wool,

Sponge
 flannel or cotton. The amount of powder varies the projectile. The sabot keeps the projectile stable
with the gun’s size, range of target and type of while in the tube and protects the fuses of shell and
projectile. Then the cartridge is rammed to the case shot. The fixed projectile is inserted in the
breech with a rammer (similar to a sponge without bore and rammed home.
the wool).

Solid shot, shell and spherical case shot are fixed Rammer
(strapped) to a sabot, a wooden block recessed to fit

...Ready... On the top rear of the gun, a small hole called a vent The end of the wire key is looped in a circle. A
opens into the breach. A priming wire (much like an hook tied to a lanyard (a long, sturdy string) is
ice pick) is driven down the vent (puncturing the inserted in this loop. Next the friction primer is
cartridge and exposing some powder) and then inserted in the vent. The lanyard is uncoiled and
withdrawn. The carriage is run forward until the pulled taught.
tube and carriage rests on the front end of the
chassis, in battery.

Traversing, or aiming, the piece is done by moving Key

the chassis left or right. A breech sight is used to give
the cannon proper elevation for the range of the
target.

A friction primer is the trigger. It consists of a brass

tube and a serrated wire key. Surrounding the key is
a sparking compound, like the substance on a match
Friction primer. Image courtesy of Warren Ripley.
tip. The rest of the tube is filled with gunpowder.

...Fire! The final step is performed upon this command. The resulting explosion ignites the cartridge, and
The lanyard is pulled, ripping the wire key out of the cannon fires. Recoil automatically rolls the
the primer. This friction ignits the sparking piece out of battery. Friction brings the carriage and
compound and powder inside the friction primer. tube to a stop, once again resting on the rear end of
the chassis. Then the tube is sponged...

Guns like the Columbiads at Fort Moultrie and Fort

Sumter would be fired on average once every eight
to ten minutes with a crew of eight artillerists.

The Modern Era By the end of the 19th century the United States had Today these guns are artifacts, preserved for all to
upgraded coastal defenses with breech-loading steel enjoy. They are displayed whenever possible in
guns. These guns were easier to load, had far greater their original style settings and mounts. For your
range and accuracy and were more efficient than safety, no climbing is permitted on the guns,
their predecessors. The age of the old iron muzzle carriages or chassis.
loader was at an end.

For More Information Fort Moultrie is a unit of Fort Sumter National For more information, write to the Superintendent,
Monument, administered by the National Park Fort Sumter National Monument, 1214 Middle
Service. The site is located at 1214 Middle Street on Street, Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482; call 843-883-
Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. Hours of 3123; or visit is on the World Wide Web at:
operation are daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
except for New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and http://www.nps.gov/fomo
Christmas Day.

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA 11/2005