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X Pdr = Y mm and why the differences?


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In the old days of cannons and ball shot, calibres used to be measured according to how many pounds a lead sphere of the same diameter as the barrel would weigh. So the bigger the poundage, the bigger the bore.

A similar measure is used for smooth bore small arms like shotguns. But the numbers work the opposite way. Here the measure is "how many lead spheres of the same diameter as the barrel would it take to make up a pound?" So a 12 gauge means 12 of those lead balls would make up a pound, whilst the smaller 20 gauge would need 20 balls.

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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Sir Uber General:

Hiyas,

why do some armies designate the size of their arty in pounds and others in mm? Anyone got a chart listing the sizes / weights of both?

Thanks<hr></blockquote>

"Some" armies used pdr/inches/oz ? ONE Army, the British one, was pretty conservative with his medieval measures and did'nt use the fine, wonderful, French metric system until, well, yesterday :eek: :D:D !

BTW, what's funny is that other nations used mostly mm as measure, excecpt the Germans who referred to cm ...The 88 was indeed the 8.8 cm Flak, artillery was 10.5 LFH etc... tongue.gif

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