The guns which especially belong to the Barnaby era were as follows:-- ======+=======+========+==========+==========+=========+================ | | | | | | Penetration | Weight| Length | Weight | Muzzle | Muzzle | 2000 yds. Cal. | in | in |projectile| velocity | energy +-------+-------- ins. | tons. | cals. | lbs. | f.s. | ft. | iron. | comp. ------+-------+--------+----------+----------+---------+-------+-------- M.L. | | | | | | | 16 | 81 | 18 | 1684 | 1590 | 29,530 | 22 | 15 ----- +-------+--------+----------+----------+---------+-------+-------- B.L. | | | | | | | 16.25 | 110 | 30 | 1800 | 2148 | 57,580 | 29 | 19 13.5 | 67 | 30 | 1250 | 2025 | 35,560 | 26 | 17 12 | 45 | 25 | 714 | 2000 | 18,060 | 19 | 12½ 9.2 | 22 | 25 | 380 | 1809 | 8622 | 15 | 10 8 | 14 | 30 | 210 | 2200 | 7060 | 14 | 9 6 | 5 | 26 | 100 | 1960 | 2665 | 8 | 5 ======+=======+========+==========+==========+=========+=======+======== In the early part of the period, guns of the Reed era, down to the 10-inch 18-ton M.L., were also made use of; but generally speaking, the Barnaby designs coincide with early breechloading types. It is interesting to note that the 81-ton gun figured in one ship only (the _Inflexible_), and that after this the 38-ton 12.5 M.L. was reverted to, to be replaced in later designs by the 45-ton 12-inch B.L. The M.L. guns available for early Barnaby designs were considerably superior to earlier examples of their type; as after the fiasco of the _Glatton_ trials,[7] copper gas checks were introduced. These were affixed to the base of the projectile and expanded on firing. They led to a certain increased power and accuracy; but, even so, only of a relative nature compared with the better results obtained from breechloaders. The _Thunderer_ gun disaster, which after many experiments was found to have been caused by doubly loading the gun, added another argument to the anti-muzzle-loader cause. The 12-inch, which was the first large B.L. to be introduced, compared as follows with the 12-inch M.L.:--