Rate of cannon fire

[capnwilliam]

Anyone care to post an opinion regarding the folowing comment:

In the heat of battle, a good Civil War cannon crew could get off 12-13 rounds a minute.

Capt. William

 

[musketman]

In the heat of battle, a good Civil War cannon crew could get off 12-13 rounds a minute.

I'll bet some safety precautions were compromised... :haha:

Good cannon crews could achieve things like this if everyone ran on instinct instead of fear, paying attention to the job at hand and not the onrush of advancing troops...

 

[evildog]

A shot every 5 seconds? Could go through their supply of powder and ball real quick.

 

[soggy]

In the heat of battle, a good Civil War cannon crew could get off 12-13 rounds a minute.

I suspose they could, providing everything went without a hitch..............still that doesn't leave much time for swabbing between shots :crackup:

 

[Powder Keg]

A shot every 5 seconds is gittin with it. Me I have to have the camera just right and all to capture the moment so my shots are about every 8 seconds :results:

 

[Mulebrain]

Interesting!

Well look at how fast tires get changed in Nascar! I would assume a well trained and drilled gun crew could do it. At gun point no less :haha:

 

[threepdr]

That must be someones imagination talking. A limber chest would be emptied pretty fast at that fanciful rate of fire! It would take 5 seconds just to pick the vent and insert the primer.

IF the crew did not bother to sponge between shots or to take aim, a well oiled crew might do 5 shots a minute. Otherwise, 2 - 3 shots a minute is considered a high rate of fire.