| 3.2-inch gun M1897 | |
|---|---|
 Model 1885 with crew, Spanish–American War era. Note the three-stage barrel rather than the two-stage barrel used on the Model 1897. | |
| 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 Boxer Rebellion |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Watervliet Arsenal |
| Designed | 1885 |
| Manufacturer | Gun: Watertown Arsenal, West Point Foundry, Watervliet Arsenal Carriage: Springfield Arsenal, Rock Island Arsenal |
| Produced | 1885-1899 |
| No. built | 100 (M1885) 272 (M1890 and M1897) 372 total[1] |
| Variants | M1885, M1890, M1897 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 830 lb (380 kg) gun & breech; 2,130 lb (970 kg) gun & carriage total[1] |
| Barrel length | 26 calibers, 83.2 inches (2.11 m) (bore)[1] |
| Shell | Separate-loading, bagged charges and projectiles.
|
| Shell weight | 13 lb 8 oz (6 kg)[1] |
| Calibre | 3.2-inch (81 mm) |
| Breech | de Bange style interrupted screw[1] |
| Recoil | Wheel brakes, no recoil mechanism[1] |
| Carriage | Box trail |
| Elevation | +20° max |
| Traverse | None |
| 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, Philippine–American War, and Boxer Rebellion from 1898 to 1902.[1]