QF 6-pounder Nordenfelt

QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt
48-calibre version at Gyltö, western archipelago of Finland, 1999
TypeNaval gun
Coast defence gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1885 - 19??
Used byMany countries
Production history
Designed1885
ManufacturerNordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company
Maxim-Nordenfelt
Specifications
MassUK 42-cal version : 638 pounds (289 kg) barrel & breech[1]
Lengthvarious, 42-50 calibres

ShellFixed QF 6 lb (2.7 kg)
Calibre57-millimetre (2.24 in)
BreechVertical sliding-block with locking wedge
Muzzle velocity1,818 ft/s (554 m/s)[2]
Maximum firing range4,500–6,000 yd (4,100–5,500 m)[2]

The QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt was a light 57 mm naval gun and coast defence gun of the late 19th century used by many countries.

Note that this gun should not be confused with the short-barreled 57 mm Cockerill-Nordenfelt "Canon de caponnière" or fortification gun, which was used to arm the German A7V tank in World War I.

Nordenfelt guns can be visually differentiated from equivalent and similar Hotchkiss guns by having slimmer barrels than the Hotchkiss, hence the Nordenfelt was considerably lighter.

  1. ^ Hogg & Thurston 1972, page 39
  2. ^ a b Hogg & Thurston 1972, Page 39 quote 7,500 yards (6,900 m) with muzzle velocity 1,773 ft/s (540 m/s), for the British 42-calibres model in 1914 using 7.75 oz cordite Mk 1 propellant. The Victorian Navy manual of 1895 quotes a muzzle velocity of 1,818 ft/s (554 m/s) using a 1 lb 15 oz (0.88 kg) gunpowder charge, but maximum range of only 5,000 yards (4,600 m). Text Book of Gunnery 1902, Page 337 quotes m.v. of 1,818 ft/s (554 m/s) and maximum range 4,500 yards (4,100 m). 5600 metres is quoted for the 48 calibres model at Krepost Sveaborg, Helsinki.