I thought the AR members who are into big bores would like this picture. It is a shell from the USS Missouri. It is 16" diameter and weighs something like 1900-2700 lbs. It is fired by 660 lbs of powder. Anyone want to compute the muzzle energy of that.

Joe,
is shiteload close enough?

FINALLY a weapon big enough to "blow a cape buffalo off his feet"

jeffe

Well I can beat that

Back in the Days The rhitd reich had a "thing" called Dora 800 mmm.
The sheels where 3 meters long and weighing 7100 KG.




for more pictures and data go to:
http://palpatine.chez.tiscali.fr/Page13/page13.htm

Cheers,

Andr�

Cheers,

Andr�

WyoJoe,

How much steel could her 2700lb AP rounds penetrate at 18,000 yards, or about at 9600 yards. How much reinforced concrete.

The muzzle energy of the AP round at a muzzle velocity of 2650 fps is - 294,421,584 LB-FT (rounding to the nearest integer).

More importantly:

Section density - 10.55
Momentum density - 159,142.7 slug/ft-sec or 61,492,759 lb/in-sec.

A 600 grain bullet of 0.510" diameter at 2400 fps has a momentum density of 12,084 lb-in-sec. Kinda puny, eh?

That is enough energy to blow a herd of cape buffalo off their feet (provided you had them standing in a row)!

The HE round typically leaves 100' diameter craters, many many feet deep.

I take it you are visiting Pearl Harbor. I visited the Missouri many times when she was moored in Bremerton, Washington back in the mid-70s. Back then you really could not see much of her, just the forward deck and turret exteriors. What is tour like today?

ASS_CLOWN

The tour is awesome. It costs about $8 to get on and you can wonder around a lot of places by your self. In the $60 range ( I think - forgot the exact price) you get a grand tour that takes you to a lot of places that others can't go. They also have different levels in between. For anyone visiting Pearl Harbor The Missouri and the Uss Arizona Memorial are must sees.

WyoJoe,

If I ever make to Hawaii (only state I haven't been to) I will most definitely make a trip to Pearl!!

Thanks for the reply.

ASS_CLOWN

I have been on the USS Miss. and was deeply impressed. Just for bragging rights, the INEL in Idaho was wehere the 16" guns were developed and tested.

As for the German gun: there is a gun similar on display at the Ordnance Museaum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. I am not sure if it is the same gun or not but I got some pics of me riding the barrel when I was at school at APG in 90.

And a M1 with its 105mm rifled tube or the M1A1/A2 is more than adequate for Cape Buffalo and they are far easier to trudge across the plains while hunting. Heck, you even get to have the gun carry instead of the other way around.

Many years ago I had the previledge to go aboard the battleship New Jersey while she was in Seattle for the Seafair Navy tours. What an awesome ship and experience! Seeing pictures and reading about these ships and actually being on deck are totally different things. The armor thickness is incredible as are the 9 16" guns in their turrets. The scale is mind blowing but at the same these ships have beautiful, timeless lines.

John

I saw the New Jersey in action off the gulf of Tonkin in70- 71. She was highly appreciated!-Rob

I remember talking to a FAC while in RVN, and he told me to think of the Jersey's rounds this way," Weight is like an old VW, and she can throw them down range 32 miles,and drop it in your smoke stack" was always glad they were on our side

There was a magazine article some time back about these great naval guns. They were refered to as the worlds largest varmit rifles, (able to remove pest with accuracy) reported to be MOA capable, at 23 miles can hit a football field.

As to taking out cape buffs, one HE should render a lot of hamburger

By the way a single grain of powder used for these guns measures 2.30"L X .945"dia. Weight 610 grains each. With seven .060 perforations. One centered with six surounding. These were loaded 110lbs per bag six bags per shot. (I have two pellets)

Hog Killer