| Ordnance RML 12.5-inch 38-ton gun | |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Type: | Naval gun Coast defence gun |
| Is Ranged: | YES |
| Is Artillery: | YES |
| Is Uk: | YES |
| Service: | 1875–1905 |
| Used By: | Royal Navy |
| Designer: | Royal Gun Factory |
| Design Date: | 1874 |
| Manufacturer: | Royal Arsenal |
| Variants: | Mk I, Mk II |
| Part Length: | 198inches (bore)[1] |
| Cartridge: | 800to Palliser, Common, Shrapnel |
| Caliber: | 12.5sing=onNaNsing=on |
| Velocity: | Mk I : 1425ft/s[2] Mk II : 1575ft/s[3] |
| Max Range: | Mk I : 6000yd Mk II : 6500yd |
The RML 12.5-inch guns were large rifled muzzle-loading guns designed for British battleships and were also employed for coast defence.
The gun originated from a desire for a longer 12inches gun than the existing RML 12-inch 35-ton gun. Experiments in 1874 with both 12inches and 12.5inches versions 3feet longer than the existing 12inches gun showed the 12.5inches calibre was more suitable, and further experiments showed a projectile of 800lb could be fired with a charge of 130lb of P2 gunpowder without undue strain. The same construction as in the existing 12inches 35-ton gun was used : a mild steel "A" tube toughened in oil, surrounded by wrought iron "B" tube, triple coil in front of the trunnion, coiled breech-piece and breech coil. This was approved in January 1875.[4]
The gun was rifled on the "Woolwich" pattern of a small number of broad shallow rounded grooves, with 9 grooves increasing from 0 to 1 turn in 35 calibres (i.e. 1 turn in 437.5inches).
Mark II had an enlarged powder chamber and attained higher muzzle velocity and slightly longer range.
This gun was the final development of large British rifled muzzle-loading guns before it switched to breechloaders beginning in 1880. It was succeeded in its class on new battleships by the BL 12inches Mk II gun.
Guns were mounted on HMS Dreadnought commissioned in 1879, HMS Agamemnon commissioned in 1883, and HMS Ajax commissioned in 1885, the last British warships completed with muzzle-loading guns.
When the gun was first introduced projectiles had several rows of "studs" which engaged with the gun's rifling to impart spin. Sometime after 1878, "attached gas-checks" were fitted to the bases of the studded shells, reducing wear on the guns and improving their range and accuracy. Subsequently, "automatic gas-checks" were developed which could rotate shells, allowing the deployment of a new range of studless ammunition.
Images 3–9 show the range of ammunition for the RML 12.5-inch gun in 1885.[5] By this time the gun no longer fired studded ammunition without gas-checks. Instead there were two sets of ammunition available, namely: older studded ammunition with attached gas-checks Mk II, and newer studless ammunition with automatic gas-checks. Case ammunition neither was studded nor required gas-checks. Also by this time, attached gas-checks Mk I as shown in image 2 had been superseded by attached gas-checks Mk II.