Old Finn 12-inch guns still work…
Shots were fired with last week with 305mm Obuhov cannon (305/52 O) to honor Helsinki being capital of Finland for 200 years. The guns were retired from use in 1982, but one has been kept in shape for these special occasions. The gun was loaded with 80kg of gunpowder and 500l of seawater, leaving some 400m long trail of steam.
These guns, almost 100-years old could fire an amazing 50,285 yards with small diameter 692-pound coastal defense rounds. Thats 45kms or about 23-nautical miles. Now thats impressive.
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNRussian_12-52_m1907.htm
Designation 12″/52 (30.5 cm) Pattern 1907
305 mm/52 (12″) Pattern 1907
Ship Class Used On Gangut, Imperatritsa Maria and Imperator Nikolai I classes
Coast defense mountings and TM-1-12 railroad guns
Date Of Design 1907
Date In Service 1910
Gun Weight 49.9 tons (50.7 mt)
Gun Length oa 624 in (15.850 m)
Bore Length 607.1 in (14.420 m)
Rifling Length 508.4 in (12.912 m)
Grooves (72) 0.079 in deep x 0.354 in (2.0 mm x 9.0 mm)
Lands 0.169 in (4.3 mm)
Twist Uniform RH 1 in 30
Chamber Volume
(see Note) 13,710 in3 (224.6 dm3)
Rate Of Fire Gangut: 1.8 rounds per minute
Imperatritsa Maria: 3 rounds per minute
Sevastopol after modernization in 1940: 2.2 rounds per minute
Twin coast defense turrets (1914): 1.5 rounds per minute
Twin coast defense turrets (1941): 2 rounds per minute
MB-3-12FM Coast defense turret: 2.25 rounds per minute
Open Coast Defense Mount: 2 rounds per minute
Goodreads
