Used primarily during the American Civil War these smooth bore muzzle-loading artillery pieces were easy to identify by their distinctive shape. They were nicknamed “soda bottles”. This innovative design was the work of Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren. His design philosophy evolved from an accidental explosion in 1849 of an older cannon design that killed a gunner. He believed a safer, more powerful naval cannon could be designed using scientific design criteria. Dahlgren guns were designed with a smooth curved shape, equalizing strain and concentrating more weight of metal in the gun breech where the greatest pressure of expanding propellant gases was experienced. My 1/16 scale model is of an 11 inch bore Dahlgren naval gun made from a resin kit. I replaced several key parts with metal. I also used resin 3D printing to make several accessories and the sailor you see in photos. The real gun of this type weighed in at 15,700 pounds and used a 20 pound charge of gunpowder to fire a 134 pound shell just over 2 miles. It took a crew of about 24 men to keep this monster pointed, ranged, loaded, and firing during battle.
Down In The Shop 