pics of 25 pdr gun

[Tony Smith]

That is truly a staggering rate of fire from a 25pdr considering that the 25pdr fires "Separate, not "Fixed" ammunition. That is, it is loaded by first opening the breech, placing a projectile into the breech, ramming the projectile into place with a ramrod to engage the rifling, then placing bags of gunpowder into the shell case which is then put into the breech behind the projectile, fingers out of the way, close the breech and fire. Behind the actual gun crew, other gunners will be preparing fuse settings on projectiles and others will be preparing charge bags for cartridges.