Nock gun
| Nock gun | |
|---|---|
A Nock volley gun in the Charleston Museum 1779–1780 | |
| Type | Volley gun |
| Place of origin | Great Britain |
| Service history | |
| In service | Royal Navy 1782–1804 |
| Used by | United Kingdom |
| Wars | Napoleonic Wars |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1779 |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 20 inches (510 mm) |
| Caliber | .46 inches (12 mm) |
| Barrels | 7 |
| Action | Flintlock, multiple barrel |
| Rate of fire | Seven rounds per discharge, reloading rate variable |
| Muzzle velocity | Variable |
| Effective firing range | Variable |
| Feed system | Muzzle-loaded |
The Nock gun was a seven-barrelled flintlock smoothbore firearm used by the Royal Navy during the early stages of the Napoleonic Wars. It is a type of volley gun adapted for ship-to-ship fighting, but was limited in its use because of the powerful recoil and eventually discontinued.
Its operation and historical importance has led to it being portrayed in modern fictional works, notably in The Alamo feature film, and the Richard Sharpe series of novels by Bernard Cornwell.