BL 5-inch howitzer
| Ordnance BL 5-inch howitzer | |
|---|---|
Territorial Force gunners with howitzer in camp pre-WWI | |
| Type | Field howitzer |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1895 – 1919 |
| Used by | United Kingdom Kingdom of Romania Russian Empire |
| Wars | Mahdist War Second Boer War First World War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,672 lb (1,212 kg) |
| Barrel length | 42 inches (1.07 m) bore (8.4 calibres) |
| Shell | 50 lb (22.7 kg) Common shell 50 lb (22.7 kg) Lyddite shell 40 lb (18.1 kg) Amatol shell |
| Calibre | 5-inch (127.0 mm) |
| Breech | 3-motion, interrupted screw |
| Recoil | 5.5 in (140 mm), Hydro-spring constant |
| Carriage | Wheeled, box trail |
| Elevation | -5° - 45° |
| Muzzle velocity | 788 ft/s (240 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 4,800 yards (4,400 m) (50 lb shell); 6,500 yards (5,900 m) (40 lb shell) |
| Filling weight | 9 pounds 15 ounces (4.51 kg) (Lyddite) 5 pounds (2.27 kg) (Amatol) |
The Ordnance BL 5-inch howitzer was initially introduced to provide the Royal Field Artillery with continuing explosive shell capability following the decision to concentrate on shrapnel for field guns in the 1890s.