8-Pound Cannon

The 8-Pound Cannon is an 18th Century artillery piece. It was the Long-Range weapon of Napoleon Bonaparte

Description

The 8-pound cannon had a six-foot iron barrel mounted on top of a frame with two wheels, with a total weight of over 2,000 lbs. The inside diameter of the barrel was 106 mm (4 in), although the cannonballs were only 103 mm in diameter. It was called an 8-pounder because it fired 8 pound cannon balls

Grapeshot

In addition to the usual eight-pound cannonballs, grapeshot was used as an anti-personnel ammunition. Grapeshot consisted of a canister (usually tin) filled with lead or iron balls. When the cannon was fired, the canister was ripped apart by the force of the blast and the lead balls spread out after leaving the barrel, like a shotgun shell.

Test

The 8-pound cannon was tested against George Washington's 6-pound. In a test against an enemy encampment, it was able to kill 3 soldiers and disable the enemy cannon while the 6-pound cannon killed 2 men and disabled the cannon. It's grapeshot ammuniton was also tested against Washington's scattershot ammunition. The grapeshot killed 8/15 targets to the scattershot's 3/15. The edge was given to the 8-pound cannon due to the precision in it's building. 

Uses

Napoleon studied at the elite École Militaire in Paris, where he was trained to become an artillery officer. Having spent his early career serving in an artillery regiment, Napoleon believed that effective use of cannons would be able to overcome any infantry regiment.

Trivia

• Along with the 6-pound cannon, the 8-pound cannon was the first cannon, as well as the second crew served weapon after the ballista.