Gun - 18-pounder British Quick-Firing Field gun Mark II & Field Carriage

This gun featured in the 1996 film Michael Collins starring Liam Neesom as the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the 1921 Irish Civil War. Its First World War service is unknown but it represents the standard British & Commonwealth Royal Artillery field gun, from its introduction in 1904 until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

The secrets of its success, once the inevitable teething-troubles were overcome, were robustness, adaptability and sheer weight of numbers. Originally firing only shrapnel shell, a high-explosive option was soon ready, as were smoke, incendiary and gas. The British Expeditionary Force took 324 to the Western Front in 1914 and by the war's end 3,215 were present. 18-pounders alone are calculated to have fired almost 100 million rounds. In the final two years of the war, masses of these guns would form the backbone of every artillery barrage, laying down fire in advance of attacking infantry.

The Limber towed between the gun and the six horse-team held 24 rounds. Travelling with each gun was a second team of six horses towing an ammunition wagon and wagon limber with 30 in each.

Physical description The gun barrel is made of steel and consists of an 'A' tube, a series of layers of steel wire, a jacket and a breech. The 'A' tube extends from the rear end of the chamber to the muzzle. Over a portion of the 'A' tube are wound successive layers of steel wire. The jacket is fitted over the exterior of the wire and 'A' tube, and is secured longitudinally by corresponding shoulders and the breech ring, which is secured over the jacket at the rear and secured by a set screw. The breech ring is prepared for the reception of the breech mechanism, and is provided on the upper side with a lug for the attachment of the hydraulic buffer. Longitudinal projections on each side of the jacket for guides for the gun when in the cradle of the carriage. The guns are fitted with 'Single Motion Breech Mechanism.' The mechanism is so arranged that by one pull on a lever the breech is unlocked and the screw and carrier are swung into the loading position. After loading, one thrust on the same lever inserts the breech screw into the breech opening and turns it into the locked position. The carriage is the narrow single-pole trail design suited to its towing by teams of horses. It consists of many parts but is constructed to allow of 16 degrees elevation and 5 degrees compression being given to the gun, which recoils axially in a cradle, the latter being fitted with a hydraulic buffer to limit the recoil to about 41 inches and running out springs to return the gun to the firing position. The carriage is also constructed so that the gun's elevation can be altered without interfering with the line of sight. It is provided with a seat on each side of the trail for two of the gun detachment, and with a shield for the protection of the numbers serving the gun. The carriage is fitted to carry various stores. The wheels are 2nd class, 'C', No.45, 4 feet 8 inches in diameter, with a steel nave, removable pipe box, and a 3 inch steel tire with rounded edges. The carriage is fitted on the left side with a rocking bar sight with sight clinometer, and No.4 sighting telescope. It is provided with a No.1 or No. 7 Dial Sight, introduced in 1910 and based on the German Goertz panoramic sight, and No. 2 carrier. The rifling comprises 18 grooves and is Polygroove, modified plain section with a uniform 1 turn in 30 calibres. The firing mechanism is percussion.