64-pound Rifled Muzzle Loader Gun -- Fort Scaur, Somerset Island, Sandy's Parish BM - Static Artillery Displays on Waymarking.com

This 64-pound Rifled Muzzle Loader Gun bears the monogram of Queen Victoria, "VR", meaning "Victoria Regina" (Victoria, Queen) -- which helps date the gun to the early 1870s, before Queen Victoria changed her monogram to "VRI," meaning "Victoria Regina et Imperatrix (Victoria, Queen [of England] and Empress [of India]).

This gun is mounted in a Moncrieff Disappearing Gun Mount, which apparently looked a lot better on paper than it worked in real life.

A sign next to the gun reads as follows:

"THE 64 POUNDER RIFLED MUZZLE LOADER GUN AND THE MONCRIEFF DISAPPEARING GUN MOUNT

In the 1870s Fort Scaur was armed with two 64 pounder rifled muzzleloader gun on Moncrieff disappearing gun mounts. The 64 pounder had a maximum range of 4000 yards (2.3 miles)

HOW IT WORKED

in the loaded position, the gun barely topped the parapet. Upon firing, the gun would drop from sight, forced into the firing pit by back pressure.
The gun would roll down a set of “checks” with enough force to raise a 5.25 ton counterweight. The gun laws then locked into depressed position.

When loaded, the break was released and the counterweight through the gun back into its firing position.

That was the theory. In practice these complicated moves demanded extremely high maintenance. By the 1870s the British disappearing gun mount was being phased out for new breech loader guns firing from protected positions.

This replica was constructed in 2009 as part of the 400th anniversary celebration of Bermuda’s settlement and is the only one of its type in the world."

What type of artillery is this?: 64-pound Rifled Muzzle Loader Gun Where is this artillery located?: Park What military of the world used this device?: British Army Date artillery was in use: 01/01/1870 Cost?: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Artillery is no longer operational: yes Still may work: no Are there any geocaches at this location?: no Date artillery was placed on display: Not listed Parking location to view this Waymark: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/22/2015 Benchmark Blasterz visited it