Alternate Weapons of War thread...

[Russell]

Originally Posted by trekchu

I think it's time for me to re-post my own Devonshire. If this is it. Not sure, since it's been a while and I switched Computers.



Essentially a stretched Type 42 with some additional kit.

Nice - at that size with those armaments she's really more of a crusier than a destroyer.

[Sapiento]

another idea of an earlier steam driven vehicle

[Iori]

That one looks like it could have been derived from Da Vinci's work on Tanks.

[Highlander]

Originally Posted by Sapiento

another idea of an earlier steam driven vehicle

These are really cool - a nice deviation from the usual watercraft and aeroplanes.

[Sapiento]

Originally Posted by Iori

That one looks like it could have been derived from Da Vinci's work on Tanks.

Originally Posted by Highlander

These are really cool - a nice deviation from the usual watercraft and aeroplanes.

Thanks. Maybe I do some others.

[wormyguy]

Originally Posted by Sapiento

another idea of an earlier steam driven vehicle

Good work!

Although [nitpick]the wheels are much too thin. Something that heavy on wheels that thin is just going to sink into softer soil - not very useful in battle (the wheels would have to be about three times wider).

[Sapiento]

Originally Posted by wormyguy

Good work!

Although [nitpick]the wheels are much too thin. Something that heavy on wheels that thin is just going to sink into softer soil - not very useful in battle (the wheels would have to be about three times wider).

Thanks.

Maybe. But this vehicle is made mostly of wood with metal covering, so it looks heavier than it actually is.

[Russell]

The British Armstrong-Henry Rifle - an icon of the British Empire.

The origin of the Armstrong-Henry rifle can be traced back to the the lessons learnt from the British involment during the Trent War, also known as the American Civil War. The initial American invasion of British North America, while not taking the British by surprise (indeed it had been anticipated for many months) did catch the British armed forces short of many supplies, most notably suitable rifles. Most regular troops and militia were armed with a variety of rifles and muskets varying from the well respected Mussel Loading Enfields and breach loading Snider-Enfields to the more crude and considerably older breach loading conversions of ancient Brown Bess muskets, nicknamed Rattle guns anf famous for their tedancy to explode. The invading Army f New England under General George Meade, armed with a core of battle hardened veterans made quick work of many of the poorly armed and lightly equiped Canadian militia. However, by 1862 the situation had changed for the better. The British had inflicted a remarkable defeat on Meade outside of Toronto, halting his advance while the British blocade of the coasts was reducing supplies substantially. Meanwhile in Montreal a large british army was massing and by the end of the year it was the Americans who were on the defensive. By 1864 the war was over. British honour had been settled and the Confederacy was free. However, the end of the war saw the British Army, in terms of small arms in a mess.

Although the British had adopted during the war the Armstrong Breech Loading rifle the British Army was still equiped with a whole variety of different weapons. Worse still for the British, it appeared that their new and highly prized Armstrong Rifles were already obsolete in the face of the new Repeating rifles that they had encountered during the war. Although limited in numbers, many British troops had come to fear the small caliber, fast firing rifles which had on occasions dealt a serious defeats to the British. As such, a solution had to be found.

In 1867 the British War Office put out a call for a new repeating rifle for the army, of a large caliber and with a magazine capacity no smaller than that of 5 rounds. Many rifles were put forward including existing rifles simply modified (which appealed to the government after the expensive war. Ultimately none of the rifles proposed were chosen but instead a hybrid was chosen, using the Armstrong Lever Action (itself a hybrid of the American Spencer Rifles action and the Peabody/Martini falling block while the revolutionary Henry rifling was selected, resulting in a legendary Armstrong-Henry rifle.
It used a 7 round tubular magazine and shot the 577./450. Armstrong-Henry black powder round which was loaded via a loading gate on the underside of the rifle.

The rifles first test of fire came in 1872 with the Confederate involvment in the Hohenzollern War against Spain in order to aid their French allies. Although only in small numbers it proved to be a remarkable success over the Spanish troops armed mostly with mussell loaders. However, it was still not enough to ensure a quick victory and the war was dragged out. But the rifle was proven as sturdy and reliable and was adopted as the Confederate standard weapon of choice. It would go on to see frontline service in many other conflict around the world from Britains numerous colonial conflicts, the Balkan War and on both sides during the Sino-Japanese War. It was eventually phased out of service in the 1890's, being replaced in both British and Confederate service by the new Lee Enfield. However, it's position in history was assured as a prime example of British engineering.

[Wanderlust]

Good work, that man

Only... 4.5kg... Isn't that a bit light? That's comparable to many modern assault rifles.

[Petike]

Originally Posted by Sapiento

another idea of an earlier steam driven vehicle

Nice little steam "tank" you've got there. One thing I like is the realistic description to the right of the picture. I hate it when any potential steampunk-like technology works absurdly flawlessly for it's era. So : Thumbs up for mentioning the weaknesses !

P.S. : Did the Spanish use it in any conflict ?

[Russell]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust

Good work, that man

Only... 4.5kg... Isn't that a bit light? That's comparable to many modern assault rifles.

Well I wasn't too sure how much it would weigh. But I based it upon the Martini-Henry which unloaded and without bayonet weighed in at about 3.8KG. Since this rifle has more parts to it I added only a little more weight to it although it would probably weigh a little more if it were real.

I designed it because I'm doing a similar T.L. as described above and wondered what such a British entry into the civil war would have upon British firearms (that and what Rorkes Drift would have been like with repeating rifles).

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust

Good work, that man

Only... 4.5kg... Isn't that a bit light? That's comparable to many modern assault rifles.

Also isn't .577 a bit big for the period?

[Sapiento]

Originally Posted by Petike

Nice little steam "tank" you've got there. One thing I like is the realistic description to the right of the picture. I hate it when any potential steampunk-like technology works absurdly flawlessly for it's era. So : Thumbs up for mentioning the weaknesses !

P.S. : Did the Spanish use it in any conflict ?

Thanks.

Yes. During the conflicts which are known as the Spanish Revolutionary Wars (from the TL I'm working on).

[Alamo]

Originally Posted by Russell

The British Armstrong-Henry Rifle - an icon of the British Empire.

The origin of the Armstrong-Henry rifle can be traced back to the the lessons learnt from the British involment during the Trent War, also known as the American Civil War. The initial American invasion of British North America, while not taking the British by surprise (indeed it had been anticipated for many months) did catch the British armed forces short of many supplies, most notably suitable rifles. Most regular troops and militia were armed with a variety of rifles and muskets varying from the well respected Mussel Loading Enfields and breach loading Snider-Enfields to the more crude and considerably older breach loading conversions of ancient Brown Bess muskets, nicknamed Rattle guns anf famous for their tedancy to explode. The invading Army f New England under General George Meade, armed with a core of battle hardened veterans made quick work of many of the poorly armed and lightly equiped Canadian militia. However, by 1862 the situation had changed for the better. The British had inflicted a remarkable defeat on Meade outside of Toronto, halting his advance while the British blocade of the coasts was reducing supplies substantially. Meanwhile in Montreal a large british army was massing and by the end of the year it was the Americans who were on the defensive. By 1864 the war was over. British honour had been settled and the Confederacy was free. However, the end of the war saw the British Army, in terms of small arms in a mess.

Although the British had adopted during the war the Armstrong Breech Loading rifle the British Army was still equiped with a whole variety of different weapons. Worse still for the British, it appeared that their new and highly prized Armstrong Rifles were already obsolete in the face of the new Repeating rifles that they had encountered during the war. Although limited in numbers, many British troops had come to fear the small caliber, fast firing rifles which had on occasions dealt a serious defeats to the British. As such, a solution had to be found.

In 1867 the British War Office put out a call for a new repeating rifle for the army, of a large caliber and with a magazine capacity no smaller than that of 5 rounds. Many rifles were put forward including existing rifles simply modified (which appealed to the government after the expensive war. Ultimately none of the rifles proposed were chosen but instead a hybrid was chosen, using the Armstrong Lever Action (itself a hybrid of the American Spencer Rifles action and the Peabody/Martini falling block while the revolutionary Henry rifling was selected, resulting in a legendary Armstrong-Henry rifle.
It used a 7 round tubular magazine and shot the 577./450. Armstrong-Henry black powder round which was loaded via a loading gate on the underside of the rifle.

The rifles first test of fire came in 1872 with the Confederate involvment in the Hohenzollern War against Spain in order to aid their French allies. Although only in small numbers it proved to be a remarkable success over the Spanish troops armed mostly with mussell loaders. However, it was still not enough to ensure a quick victory and the war was dragged out. But the rifle was proven as sturdy and reliable and was adopted as the Confederate standard weapon of choice. It would go on to see frontline service in many other conflict around the world from Britains numerous colonial conflicts, the Balkan War and on both sides during the Sino-Japanese War. It was eventually phased out of service in the 1890's, being replaced in both British and Confederate service by the new Lee Enfield. However, it's position in history was assured as a prime example of British engineering.

A European lever gun? Hersey!

[Russell]

Originally Posted by Landshark

Also isn't .577 a bit big for the period?

Same Caliber as the Martini-Henry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.577/450_Martini-Henry

[Russell]

Originally Posted by Alamo

A European lever gun? Hersey!

Heresy or novelty?

[Alamo]

Originally Posted by Russell

Heresy or novelty?

Everyone knows that Europeans can't make lever actions, it's in their genes or something.

[Russell]

Originally Posted by Alamo

Everyone knows that Europeans can't make lever actions, it's in their genes or something.

That is quite true - we had to wait thirty years until the development of the bolt action.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Russell

Same Caliber as the Martini-Henry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.577/450_Martini-Henry

The article seems to state that the round is .45 calibre on a necked down case rather than .577 calibre.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Alamo

Everyone knows that Europeans can't make lever actions, it's in their genes or something.

Originally Posted by Russell

That is quite true - we had to wait thirty years until the development of the bolt action.

Except the OTL Martini-Henry was a lever action, albeit a single shot lever action.