THE NEW AUSTRIAN FIELD GUNS, 
o 
6 
Until very recently it was not possible to obtain authoritatively exact data 
as to these new guns; though in the u Revue d'Artillerie,” and in a note 
by Colonel Goodenough, R.A., Assistant Director of Artillery, in our Insti¬ 
tution Papers,* some information is given concerning the same. 
A pamphletf just published in Vienna, however, dated 1877, affords 
most of the required data; dimensions, weights, &c., found scattered through 
the pamphlet, have for convenience been thrown into tablesj in the fol¬ 
lowing paper, and the matter much reduced in bulk. 
The new guns are 
(1) Heavy Field Batteries .-—The 9 C of 9*6 cwts. Calibre 3*4 ins. (8*7 C ), 
throwing common shell of 16 lbs., with a charge of 3*3 lbs. and muzzle 
velocity of 1548 f.s. Gun detachment, 8 men. 
(2) Light Field Batteries and Horse Artillery .—The 8 C of 5*9 cwts. 
Calibre 2*95 ins. (7'5 C ), throwing common shell of 9*5 lbs., with a charge of 
2*09 lbs. and muzzle velocity of 1397 f.s.§ Gun detachmnt, 7 men. 
The manufacture of these pieces is so rapidly progressing that it is hoped 
the equipment of the whole field artillery will be complete by April next. 
The armament proceeds at the rate of about 150 pieces per month, fully 
equipped; and in the beginning of December 1876 over 800 guns were 
completed, as I was informed, in Vienna. Should the hopes of the 
Austrian authorities be fulfilled, they will have accomplished a great feat in 
replacing the whole of their field guns (some 1500 in number) by a new 
armament manufactured in about 15 months time. [| 
The author of the Austrian pamphlet mentioned, after stating that, owing 
to the introduction of the Uchatius guns, a new epoch has arisen for the 
Austrian artillery, and pointing out that for this reason the matter must be 
one of the greatest interest to the whole army, goes on to describe gun and 
equipment in detail as follows 
I.—The Gun proper. 
The material of which this is composed is mentioned,-and we are told 
that steel-bronze approaches the ideal of a magnificent gun-metal, surpassing 
all others known—a conclusion we may well differ from, both as to steel 
alone or in combination with wrought-iron. Still, for political and econo- 
Short Notes, No. 115, January, 1875. 
f This pamphlet ( ,£ Die neyen Feldgeschiitzen Oesterreiche Uchatius-Xaunonen von einem 
X.X. Artillerie Officier,” Wien, 1877) bears marks of being somewhat hastily written. It has had, 
however, a great sale in Austria as the first full account published, and is substantially correct, I 
was informed by officers in Vienna. 
X German and English field pieces are also entered for comparison in one or two cases. 
§ Vide note f, p. 2. 
|| .The total number required is 2000, hut of these 1500 are sufficient for the artillery of the 
active army—the remaining 500 being for reserve. According to the “ Revue d’Artillerie,” Feb. 77, 
there were completed at the end of 1876, 1300 pieces, of which 600 were actually in the han% pjf 
the troops. 
