Loading for a 16″ Naval Gun? Try these Really Big Powder Sticks…
Story by Boyd Allen
While many top competitive shooters trickle their stick powder charges to a kernel or two, that would be impractical when loading charges for giant naval guns. You may be surprised, but the shells fired by the U.S. Navy’s massive 14″ and 16″ naval guns were also propelled by stick-type extruded powders. You couldn’t trickle these ‘kernels’ though — a single stick or ‘grain’ can be over 2″ long. Take a look…
In connection with a Benchrest Central discussion that drifted to the subject of powders used in large naval guns, I heard from Joe McNeil, whose father was involved in manufacturing those very propellants as a DuPont employee. Joe writes:
“My Dad worked for the DuPont company for over 40 years. Every time the nation went to war he was assigned to the gun powder plants which DuPont ran for the government for $1.00 per year! His last assignment was at the Indiana Ordnance Plant in Jefferson, Indiana from 1952 through 1958. He had a display case made of all of the different powders made at the plant and left it to me. That’s why I have a grain of 16″ gun powder. He took me out to the Jefferson proving grounds once when they tested the powder in a 16″ gun. We watched from a half-mile away but it left a lasting impression when they fired that gun. They actually had a set of rings they fired through to test the performance of the powder and shell. This was a truly fond memory of my Dad and his work.”
Here are some pictures of the gun powder “grains” made during the Korean War at the Indiana Ordnance Works where Joe McNeil’s father worked.
Above is the display case with the different powders manufactured at the DuPont plant. They include: 37 MM/AA, 75MM Pack Howitzer, 50 Cal. 5010, 20 MM 4831, 30 Cal. 4895, 76 MM, 3″, 5″, 90 MM, 4.7″, 240MM, 8″, 280 MM, 175 MM, 155 MM Howitzer, 155 MM Gun M.P., 8″ Gun M.P., 12″, 14, 16″. There are different-sized ‘grains’ for specific rounds.
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Tags: DuPont, Indiana, Naval Cannon, Navy, Ordnance, Powder, Propellant
What’s that make it, IMR 10,000?
One of the other things made at the powder plant at Jeffersonville,IN was cotton bags to contain specific amounts of propellant. The powder was loaded into the 16in gun behind the projectile of choice and the number of bags used, like the number of grains used in a cartridge case, determined the velocity of the round. A 16in round has been described as being about the size of a VW Bug
That brings back memories. Early in my Navy career I had a marvelous instructor, Senior Chief Bowling, for a course called “Gunnery and Fire Control”. Chief Bowling (because some of the IOWA Class battle wagons were being re-commissioned for service in Vietnam)led us through the care and feeding of the 16″ Naval Rifles in great detail, including adjusting velocity (and hence range) by varying the number of bags in the charge. The max charge, if memory serves, was 6 bags. For reference, the average 16″ projectile (they varied somewhat, depending on purpose) was about 6 feet long and weighed a ton, +/- 200 pounds, again depending on purpose.
Powder bags for the 16 inch guns were not made of cotton as it produces glowing embers.
Powder bags were, pre-WW2 made of silk but shalloon a woolen fabric was later found suitable as a substitute. Animal based fabrics are normally not fire supporting thus fire the preference for silk, wool, and leather for those exposed to glowing embers.
Hi Boyd,
any idea what the chamber/barrel pressure was on the 14/16″ guns ?
Gary