Smith Gun, Eccentric breech, 1870

[cannonmn]

Someone asked if a full-sized eccentric-breech gun had ever been built.  I had forgotten this one, just re-discovered the pix just now.  It is at Watervliet Arsenal museum.  It was made at West Point Foundry in 1870.  You can judge the size of it by the cinder blocks in the background, as the blocks are normally 16 inches long.  This predates my 1874 patent model, so the model must have had some improved features or the patent would not have been granted.  I think that's a pretty cool weapon.  It is full-sized, I'm guessing it would have had a 3-inch bore since that size was very popular at the time.  I'd have to look up the patent to see what ammo it was made to take, but it probably wasn't metallic-cartridge ammo at that date.

[KABAR2]

I had asked if there were any surviving examples of the W.W.Hubbell patent model,
but it's interesting to see there were others thinking along the same line,
well I finally have my steel for the Armstrong project, now you have me thinking
about a new project to acuire materials for..................