An old engraving of Moncrieff’s disappearing or invisible gun c. 1870. It is from a Victorian book of the 1890s on discoveries and inventions during the 1800s. A disappearing gun, a gun mounted on a disappearing carriage, is an piece of artillery hidden from view when not firing. British Army Captain (later Colonel Sir) Alexander Moncrieff (1929–1906) improved on existing designs for a gun carriage capable of rising over a parapet before being reloaded from behind cover. His key innovation was a practical counterweight system that raised the gun as well as controlled the recoil.
An old engraving of Moncrieff’s disappearing or invisible gun c. 1870. It is from a Victorian book of the 1890s on discoveries and inventions during the 1800s. A disappearing gun, a gun mounted on a disappearing carriage, is an piece of artillery hidden from view when not firing. The majority of carriage designs enabled the gun to rotate backwards and down behind a parapet, or into a pit protected by a wall after it was fired. It also made reloading easier, since it lowered the breech to a level just above the loading platform, and shells could be rolled right up to the open breech for loading and ramming. British Army Captain (later Colonel Sir) Alexander Moncrieff (1929–1906) improved on existing designs for a gun carriage capable of rising over a parapet before being reloaded from behind cover. His key innovation was a practical counterweight system that raised the gun as well as controlled the recoil.
Size: 2333px × 3780px
Location: UK
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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