18 Pounder field gun firing four rounds rapid fire

[rocketman221projects]

Lets see some live rounds now! Those blanks are boring.

[mistermodified1]

Doesn't look like their moving quite as quick as they would have been back in the day when your ass was on the line...

[WarHighlanderMkII]

Blanks? I'm not impressed. Could've at least used full charges.

[tina6581]

Thank the gods it was only four shots. Any more and the guys would have choked on the smoke. :-)

[Superchickenman159]

epic :D

[MessiahComing]

That was slow as fuck... My team could be firing those every two seconds.

[HMservant]

Does anyone know where one could acquire such a gun complete with ammunition and limber?

[tina6581]

@HMservant Yes mate take a shovel and a ferry trip to France and start digging. You are bound to find one in the end. :-)

[rlangham12]

Not the only one, it's my favourite weapon - got a couple of 60 pounder shrapnel shells from WW1

[morearrows]

Not even nearly quick, I have seen footage from ww1 of troops firing shells (not blanks) and even with the recoil (not present from firing blanks) they were much faster, as soon as a rd was in the breech the guy who had fetched it from a stack next to him was holding another! he didn;t wait till it was fired then go to a limber.

[fp470]

Agreed, although finding chaps profficient in the use of 100 year old guns is a challenge.

Also I think the key reason is the lenghening saftey regulations that companies like GWS and other re-enacters have to abide by.

[Limpmania]

I surely doubt that they have trained for the show. The cart with grenades, stay at a strange place and there are very very very slowly.

[Stalin111]

cool thing, and surprisingly low noise. I always imagined the field guns to be somewhat louder. Or is it only the video?

[Qorlan]

I was there on that day, as a re-enactor (1st Birmingham Battallion) and I can assure you that thing is enormously loud when your in front of it. You have to keep your mouth open, or the shockwave hitting your chest has a risk of rupturing your lungs. And thats just a Field Gun! Thank heavens they don't drag out a 60pdr!

[rlangham12]

Yep, it's a genuine 18 pounder! The re-enactors are based at the Armouries themself so are trained on the weapon etc, quite a few re-enactors use artillery in the UK, i've been on the gun crew for a 75mm pack howitzer before with blank ammunition

[philthydirtyanimal]

Is that really a real 18 pdr? Why have re-enactors got a real gun? Are they military re-enactors borrowing the Museum's exhibits? Am I stupid? (don't answer the last)

[RobAtEvil]

Our particular group is trained by the armouries and in fact we've done a lot of work alongside the museum getting the gun back up to specs. Occasionally we can take the gun out to events but the regs surrounding the storage of the cartridges and powder are beginning to get silly! The team that day was a man down, so our No 4 had to wait to catch the 'empty' as it ejected. If it bounces off the trail it sustains damage and we're trying to conserve the limited supply we have!

[Slickrick1853]

They could have done it much faster if the loader went back and got the next round while the gunners were firing. By the time they were done he would have had the next round in hand and ready to go.

[rlangham12]

I know.

[morden279]

@Slickrick1853

If they were at Le Cateau, they'd be firing at twice that rate. At least.

[Ramerez491]

My grandad god bless his soul was a loader on a 18 pounder during WWII

[richardphat]

Nice one!