BL 12-inch Mk VIII naval gun
| Ordnance BL 12-inch Mk VIII gun | |
|---|---|
Muzzle of gun on HMS Canopus, 1916 | |
| Type | Naval Gun, Coastal Defence |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1895–1927 |
| Used by | Royal Navy |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Woolwich Arsenal |
| Manufacturer | Vickers |
| Variants | Mk VIII, VIIIe, VIIIv |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 46 tons barrel & breech |
| Length | 445.6 in (11.32 m) |
| Barrel length | 35 ft 5 in (10.80 m) (35.43 calibres) |
| Shell | 850 lb (390 kg) |
| Calibre | 12-inch (304.8 mm) |
| Breech | Welin interrupted screw |
| Recoil | hydraulic |
| Elevation | - 3 / +13.5 degrees |
| Traverse | +150 / -150 degrees |
| Rate of fire | Battleships: 1 in 70 sec. Monitors: 1 in 60 sec. |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,367 ft/s (721 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 10,000 yd (9,100 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 26,000 yd (24,000 m) |
The BL 12-inch Mark VIII naval gun was one of the first large British rifled breech-loading naval guns designed for the higher pressures generated by the new cordite propellant of the 1890s, and Britain's first large wire-wound gun. It represented a major advance compared to previous British guns.