| 8"/30 caliber Mark 1 & 2 Naval Gun | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Naval gun |
| Is Ranged: | YES |
| Is Artillery: | YES |
| Service: | 1886–1906 |
| Wars: | |
| Designer: | Bureau of Ordnance |
| Design Date: | 1883 |
| Manufacturer: | U.S. Naval Gun Factory |
| Production Date: | 1886– |
| Number: |
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| Variants: | Mark 1 Mod 0 and 1 and Mark 2 Mod 1 |
| Weight: | (without breech) |
| Length: |
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| Part Length: |
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| Rate: | 0.5–1 round per minute |
| Range: | at 20° elevation |
| Elevation: | −5° to +20° |
| Traverse: | −150° to +150° |
The 8"/30 caliber gun (spoken "eight-inch-thirty-caliber") formed the main batteries of the United States Navy's "New Navy". They were a US naval gun that first entered service in 1886, and were designed for use with the first three protected cruisers,, and .
Mark 1, Nos. 1–4, Mod 0, consisted of a tube, jacket, 19 hoops and an elevating band with integral trunnions. The Mod 1 had no trunnions and were not hooped to the muzzle. They weighed, without the breech, with a barrel length of bore (30 calibers).
The Mark 2 Mod 1, Nos. 5–8, was similar, but had the hoops differently arranged, did not have integral trunnions and had its rear sights controlled by worm and miter gears. Mark 2 gun No. 7, from Chicago, was later modified into a pneumatic gun and mounted in to fire a aerial torpedo.
| Ship | Gun Installed | Gun Mount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark 1: 2 × 8"/30 caliber | Mark 1: 2 × Single Barbette Mount | ||
| Mark 1: 2 × 8"/30 caliber | Mark 1: 2 × Single Barbette Mount | ||
| Mark 2: 4 × 8"/30 caliber | Mark 2: 4 × Single "Half-turret" |
Two guns from the cruiser are currently (2010) on display at Hamlin Park in Shoreline, Washington. A plaque at the site states that one of these guns fired the first shot at the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898. Another plaque states 8-inch 30 Caliber Gun U.S.S. Boston Captain Frank Wildes, U.S. Navy Commanding This gun is credited at THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY with dismounting three guns in the Spanish fort at Cavite May 1, 1898 The two guns from Boston are marked "U. S. NAVY 8in MARK II 1899 CONVERTED".