Armstrong 12 Pounder RBL Field Gun : Victorian Horse Artillery

Restored Armstrong Model 1859 12 Pounder RBL Field Gun rebuilt to its 1880's configuration. Most of the steelwork is original, as is the brown patina. The brass sights, the brass sight locking handles, leatherwork, cloth parts and all of the timberwork, including the trail and the wheels, are replica parts. These parts are stamped with an identifying mark 'HV/R'. The serial number of the gun is 367 and the carriage is numbered 410. The calibre is 3 inches (75mm). It is in full operational order except for the screw breech mechanism which is frozen. The top of the barrel has the VR royal cypher.

This Armstrong 12 Pounder RBL Field Gun is one of the four surviving guns of the six 1864 Armstrong guns that were purchased by the Colony of Victoria to equip its horse artillery units. It is believed that it was used as a drill training weapon until the First World War. This type of field gun was first introduced into British Army Service in 1859 and was one of the first practical breech loading field guns of the modern era. It was also the first artillery weapon used in Australia with an on-carriage traverse. The gun was able to fire shrapnel, case shot or explosive shells and was considered to be one of the most accurate of the period.