BLC 15-pounder gun
| Ordnance BLC 15-pounder gun | |
|---|---|
| Type | Light field gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1907–1918 |
| Used by | British Empire |
| Wars | First World War |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 536 |
| Variants | Mark I, II, II*, IV |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Gun & breech 896 lb (406 kg); Total 3,177 lb (1,441 kg) |
| Barrel length | Bore 7 ft (2.134 m) |
| Shell | Shrapnel, HE 14 lb (6.35 kg) |
| Calibre | 3-inch (76.2 mm) |
| Breech | Single-motion interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-spring, 40 inches (1.02 m) |
| Carriage | Wheeled, box trail |
| Elevation | -9° - 16° |
| Traverse | 2° L & R |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,590 ft/s (485 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 5,750 yd (5,260 m) |
The Ordnance BLC 15-pounder gun (BLC stood for BL Converted) was a modernised version of the obsolete BL 15-pounder 7 cwt gun, incorporating a recoil and recuperator mechanism above the barrel and a modified quicker-opening breech. It was developed to provide Territorial Force artillery brigades with a reasonably modern field gun without incurring the expense of equipping them with the newer 18-pounder. It is the gun that writers usually mean by "15-pounder gun" in World War I, but can be confused with the earlier Ordnance QF 15-pounder Ehrhardt or Ordnance BL 15-pounder, both of which fired the same shell.