About
Note: Do not rely on this information. It is very old.
Carronade
Carronade, a short piece of naval ordnance invented by one Gascoigne, and first manufactured at Carron, whence its name. It became a service weapon in the British navy in 1779, and remained in use until the middle of the present century. The following were the chief types: -
| Nature | Calibre (inches) | Length. (ft, in) | Weight. (cwt qrs lbs) |
| 68 pounder | 8.05 | 5' 2" | 36 0 0 |
| 42 pounder | 6.84 | 4' 3-1/2" | 22 1 0 |
| 32 pounder | 6.35 | 4' 0-1/2" | 17 0 14 |
| 24 pounder | 5.68 | 3' 7-1/2" | 13 0 0 |
| 18 pounder | 5.16 | 3' 3" | 9 0 0 |
| 12 pounder | 4.52 | 2' 2" | 5 3 10 |
On account of their shortness they did not carry far, but at low ranges their smashing effect was considerable. Ships that carried them mounted them generally on the upper deck, poop, and forecastle only.