M1841 12-pound Mountain Howitzer - Field Artillery Museum - Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Posted by: 
gparkes
N 34° 39.943 W 098° 23.111
14S E 556330 N 3836145
The Field Artillery Museum located at Fort Sill in Oklahoma has a lot of very interesting items just waiting to be discovered by you.
Waymark Code: WM9DGF
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2010
Views: 5
An information card near this cannon reads:
M1841 12-lb. Mountain Howitzer & Pack Saddle
1853
Designed for the mountainous and rugged terrain of the West, the mountain howitzer saw service in the Mexican War, Indian Wars and limited service in the Civil War. With a tube weighing only 220 lbs., it could be pulled behind a single horse or broken down and packed onto three pack animals along with its ammunition and equipment. It had a range of 900 yards at 5 degrees elevation with a 5-lb. powder charge. Cyrus Alger & Company of Boston made this gun in 1853. This pack saddle carried the gun barrel and was made by Peters & Calhoun of New York between 1874 and ca. 1890.
Mountain Howitzers were a large caliper gun designed, but placed into a smaller scale. These were nicknamed "Bull Pups." The bronze or iron barrel was 38 inches long with a 4.62 inch bore.
Admission is free, and access to Fort Sill can be done through the visitor's gate. Be sure to have your license, registration and proof of insurance available, because you are almost certain to be asked for. From the gate, you can ask for direction. At you first stop, you can get a map of important sites on the base. Be sure to go to plan additional time to go to the Indian Cemeteries. There you will find the graves of different Indian Tribes, including Geranimo. There are many sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, from the old fort, cemeteries, and aviation related locations. Fort Sill can easily be a place to visit for a couple hours, or for the entire day.