CIVIL WAR ERA RARE & UNIQUE 1.5 INCH WHITWORTH BREECH LOADING CANNON.

SN NSN. This very rare Whitworth is seen in an 1860 Vintage photograph being test fired. The carriage accompanying this barrel was copied from the carriage seen in this photograph. This cannon was originally purchased in Thailand along with other obsolete weapons in the 1960’s. Whitworth, a prolific inventive genius, designed revolutionary breechloading and muzzle-loading rifles, cannons, and special projectiles for them to achieve greater accuracy than standard military arms of mid-19th century England. Various calibers of muzzle and breech loading cannons, based upon his extremely long range, phenomenally accurate hexagonally rifled system, were sold to the Confederacy and other countries. His introduction of new standards of accuracy in measurement and machining characterized his weapons, which were made to tolerances of a few ten-thousandths of an inch, unheard-of in the 1850’s. No other specimens of this exact gun are known. Whitworth identified his 1-1/2″ gun as a “3-pounder”. This contemporary description of testing is revealing: “In February last the Whitworth gun was tried on the sands at Southport, Lancashire…The 3-pounder, with an elevation of 35 degrees attained a maximum range of 9688 yards; at 20 degrees, 7073 yards; at 10 degrees, 4281 yards. ‘Nor was the accuracy less marvelous than the range-at 9580 yards the average lateral deviation was not quite 20 yards, at 9015 only 11 yards, at 6793 only 4 yards, at 1579 yards (not quite a mile) only 18 inches!…The charge for the 3-pounder is 8 ounces…The result of these experiments seems to be that the Whitworth exceeds the Armstrong in range, but does not equal it in accuracy. The Whitworth 3-pounder is 6 feet in length and weighs 208 lbs., with a bore of 1.5 inches” (The Annual Register, Or a view of the History and politics of the Year 1860, LONDON:PRINTED FOR J.& F.H. RIVINGTON; p.206. LITERATURE: The Artilleryman Magazine Spring, 1986. Cannon is accompanied by facsimile photograph of it being fired in test in 1860. This may be the only Whitworth piece of field artillery of the Civil War era to ever be offered. PROVENANCE: Springfield Arsenal, LLC Artillery Collection. CONDITION: Overall dimensions of gun are 82-1/2″, internal bbl length if 77″, overall length of bbl on carriage is about 10′ and overall width is about 58″. External metal pitted overall such that no marks are discernible. Bore & rifling in good condition. Breech threads in good condition such that breech can be screwed closed & opened easily. Carriage is well made, sound & solid. 4-54208 (40,000-60,000) – Lot 2048

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Auction: Firearms - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2048	$40,250.00	CIVIL WAR ERA RARE & UNIQUE 1.5 INCH WHITWORTH BREECH LOADING CANNON. SN NSN. This very rare Whitworth is seen in an 1860 Vintage photograph being test fired. The carriage accompanying this barrel was copied from the carriage seen in this photograph. This cannon was originally purchased in Thailand along with other obsolete weapons in the 1960’s. Whitworth, a prolific inventive genius, designed revolutionary breechloading and muzzle-loading rifles, cannons, and special projectiles for them to achieve greater accuracy than standard military arms of mid-19th century England. Various calibers of muzzle and breech loading cannons, based upon his extremely long range, phenomenally accurate hexagonally rifled system, were sold to the Confederacy and other countries. His introduction of new standards of accuracy in measurement and machining characterized his weapons, which were made to tolerances of a few ten-thousandths of an inch, unheard-of in the 1850’s. No other specimens of this exact gun are known. Whitworth identified his 1-1/2″ gun as a “3-pounder”. This contemporary description of testing is revealing: “In February last the Whitworth gun was tried on the sands at Southport, Lancashire…The 3-pounder, with an elevation of 35 degrees attained a maximum range of 9688 yards; at 20 degrees, 7073 yards; at 10 degrees, 4281 yards. ‘Nor was the accuracy less marvelous than the range-at 9580 yards the average lateral deviation was not quite 20 yards, at 9015 only 11 yards, at 6793 only 4 yards, at 1579 yards (not quite a mile) only 18 inches!…The charge for the 3-pounder is 8 ounces…The result of these experiments seems to be that the Whitworth exceeds the Armstrong in range, but does not equal it in accuracy. The Whitworth 3-pounder is 6 feet in length and weighs 208 lbs., with a bore of 1.5 inches” (The Annual Register, Or a view of the History and politics of the Year 1860, LONDON:PRINTED FOR J.& F.H. RIVINGTON; p.206. LITERATURE: The Artilleryman Magazine Spring, 1986. Cannon is accompanied by facsimile photograph of it being fired in test in 1860. This may be the only Whitworth piece of field artillery of the Civil War era to ever be offered. PROVENANCE: Springfield Arsenal, LLC Artillery Collection. CONDITION: Overall dimensions of gun are 82-1/2″, internal bbl length if 77″, overall length of bbl on carriage is about 10′ and overall width is about 58″. External metal pitted overall such that no marks are discernible. Bore & rifling in good condition. Breech threads in good condition such that breech can be screwed closed & opened easily. Carriage is well made, sound & solid. 4-54208 (40,000-60,000) – Lot 2048 Click here to view provenance Auction: Firearms - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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CIVIL WAR ERA RARE & UNIQUE 1.5 INCH WHITWORTH BREECH LOADING CANNON.