18-pounder short gun
| 18-pounder short gun | |
|---|---|
1/4th Scale model of an 18-pounder short gun, model 1824. On display at the Musée national de la Marine, Paris.
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| Type | naval gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| Used by | France, Spain, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, United States |
| Specifications | |
| Calibre | 138.7 mm |
The 18-pounder short gun was an intermediary calibre piece of artillery mounted on warships and merchantmen of the Age of sail. It was a lighter version of the 18-pounder long gun, compromising power and range for weight.
In his discussion of the single-ship action in which the French frigate Piémontaise captured the East Indiaman Warren Hastings on 11 June 1805, the naval historian William James compared the 18-pounder medium guns on Warren Hastings with the 18-pounder long guns that the British Royal Navy used. The medium 18-pounder was 6 feet (1.8 m) long, and weighed 26 3⁄4 Cwt (2,996 pounds (1,359 kg)); the Royal Navy's long 18-pounder was 9 feet (2.7 m) and weighed 42 1⁄2 Cwt (4,760 pounds (2,160 kg)).
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