Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1893 naval gun

Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1893
WWI French gunboats Chaloupe-canonnière fluviale type A were armed with a 138-mm gun Mle 1891
Type	Naval gun
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1887—1945?
Used by	France
Wars	World War I, World War II
Production history
Variants	Modèle 1887 Modèle 1888 Modèle 1891
Specifications
Weight	4,080 kilograms (8,990 lb)
Barrel length	6.234 metres (20 ft 5.4 in)
Shell	separate-loading, cased charge
Shell weight	30–35 kilograms (66–77 lb)
Caliber	138.6 millimetres (5.46 in)
Breech	interrupted screw
Elevation	Varied by ship, but about -10° to +25°
Traverse	depending on mount
Rate of fire	about 4 rpm
Muzzle velocity	725–770 metres per second (2,380–2,530 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	15,000 metres (16,000 yd) at 25°

The Canon de 138 mm Modèle 1893 was a medium-calibre naval gun of the French Navy used during World War I and World War II. It was carried by a number of ships built during the 1890s including the Charlemagne-class pre-dreadnought battleships. Guns from scrapped warships were later mounted on auxiliary ships during the 1930s.

The 45-calibre Mle 1893 was the culmination of a family of guns first produced in 1884. The design progressed from the 30-caliber Mle 1884 and Mle 1891 guns, to the 44-caliber Mle 1888 and Mle 1891 guns and lastly the 45-caliber Mle 1887, Mle 1891 and Mle 1893 guns. The 44-caliber and 45-caliber guns had nearly identical ballistic performance and used the same ammunition. The Mle 1893 used the typical built-up construction of its time. It had a screw breech and used separate-loading ammunition. In the battleships it was installed in armored casemates, using central pivot mounts, but no details are available.

The 7.257-kilogram (16.00 lb) propellant charge for the Mle 1893 was contained in a cartridge case.