3.2-inch gun M1885

3.2-inch gun M1897
3.2-inch gun M1897 with crew, Spanish-American War era.
Type	Light field gun
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1885–1919
Used by	US Army
Wars	Spanish–American War Philippine–American War
Production history
Designer	Watervliet Arsenal
Designed	1885
Produced	1885-1899
No. built	100 (M1885) 272 (M1890 and M1897), 372 total
Variants	M1885, M1890, M1897
Specifications
Weight	830 lb (380 kg) gun & breech; 2,130 lb (970 kg) gun & carriage total
Barrel length	26 calibers, 83.2 inches (2.11 m) (bore)
Shell	separate bag charge black powder (M1885 and original M1890) smokeless powder (M1897 and converted M1890) 13.5 lb (6.1 kg) shell
Calibre	3.2-inch (81 mm)
Breech	Interrupted screw, De Bange type
Recoil	wheel brakes, no recoil mechanism
Carriage	wheeled
Elevation	+20° max
Muzzle velocity	1,685 ft/s (514 m/s)
Maximum firing range	6,530 yd (5,970 m)
Feed system	hand

The 3.2-inch gun M1897 (81 mm), with its predecessors the M1885 and M1890, was the U.S. Army's first steel, rifled, breech loading field gun. It was the Army's primary field artillery piece in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War from 1898 to 1902.

This series of weapons was designed to provide a modern alternative to breechloading conversions of the Civil War-era 3-inch Ordnance rifle. It was made of gun steel, stronger than the wrought iron of previous weapons. It fired a 13.5 lb (6.1 kg) projectile with cast iron, shrapnel, or canister types available. All versions used separately loaded bag charges. The M1885 and M1890 used black powder when first introduced, but the M1897 was redesigned for smokeless powder; the M1890 weapons were then modified for smokeless powder and redesignated M1897s. In the Spanish–American War, difficulties were encountered in ramping up production of smokeless powder, so the M1885 and M1890 weapons were deployed to use the available black powder. There was no recoil mechanism, but the carriage's wheel brakes provided some recoil absorption. The M1890 was a simplification of the M1885, with the barrel made from two forgings instead of eight.

This weapon was the workhorse light artillery piece of the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War from 1898 to 1902. At least 16 were deployed to Cuba in the former conflict. It was also used in the China Relief Expedition in 1900. Beginning in 1902 the 3.2-inch gun was largely replaced in combat units by the 3-inch M1902 field gun. However, 3.2-inch guns lingered in reserve and training roles. During World War I, the Army primarily used the French 75 mm gun instead of its own designs, which were mostly kept in the United States for training. The 3.2-inch guns were declared obsolete and almost all were scrapped beginning in 1919.