US Navy Bureau of Ordnance Records

The resources on this page were photographed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. by me and/or by friends. The photographs are not perfect, they are the work of amateurs working with limited equipment and time, but most suffice for viewing the information. As photographs of US Navy records, they are public domain. However, if you use the information you find here, please consider giving this webpage an acknowledgement in your project. Thank you! “Santee1821”

While the records on this page have not yet been digitized by the National Archives, many ship’s logbooks have been. Particularly by the 1870s, they often include very detailed information about the guns carried aboard. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online-thru-1940

Note: This page is a work in progress with many additional records still to be added.

Record Group 74, Entry 111 “Armament of Naval Vessels, 1841-1863”

I photographed Volumes 1 and 2 from these records. Each ship in the fleet has its own page listing all of the guns aboard by type and registry number. National Archives Catalogue Entry is here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4667624

‍ Please note: My apologies for a handful of blurry pages. I used an older camera for this volume while my friend used a newer device to photograph E112..

Volume 1: This volume gives the armament of vessels in from the late 1840s to around 1860. Some wartime changes are noted.

Google Photos Album of Volume 1: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jSVoFyYJsitAcbMa9

Volume 2: This volume appears to cover vessels commissioned 1861-1863. Some earlier vessels which had a major rearmament are also included.

Google Photos Album (Index pages are at the end): https://photos.app.goo.gl/8ZB4WR6P3hwniSGn8

PDF Version of Volume 2 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u1sx4Cx3p7mE8xd7yz43aB6c-9CX4JNX/view?usp=sharing

Index to Volume 2 (PDF) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zXo_SdfevR3oRDkIOj5uile31K09kVR6/view?usp=sharing

Record Group 74, Entry 112 "Registers of Naval Guns, 1842–1900"

The Majority of the photographs are from the “Number 1” volume in this registry. “Number 2” is the earlier war-time record but appears a bit more hastily recorded. Information was transferred to “Number 1” and appears more complete, however, some types which did not see post-war service are not included in “Number 1”. Eventually, I plan to have records from both volumes, where available. NARA Catalogue Entry is  https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4667639

Note: “Volume 1” seems to give accurate service details from 1861-1899, however, it does not include all information on pre-1861 assignments.

“Volume 2” is the “Old Book”. It is a bit of a mess with pages out of order. It may contain information not transferred to Volume 1.

Bureau of Ordnance 32-Pounder of 4,500 Pounds

Note: These 32-Pounder Shell Guns are often called “32-Pounder Dahlgrens” as they generally followed the Admiral’s design. They were ordered in 1864 to meet a perceived need for modern, light 32-Pounders in the fleet. All or nearly all entered service too late to see action in the Civil War.

Bureau of Ordnance 8-Inch Shell Gun of 6,500 Pounds

Note: Like the 32-Pounders of 4,500 Pounds, these 8-Inch Shell Guns were ordered in 1864. Though few saw combat, they would find use on ships post-war which were too small to carry the 9-Inch Dahlgren.

IX-Inch Dahlgren Guns

X-Inch Dahlgren Guns of 12,000 Pounds

X-Inch Dahlgren Gun of 16,500 Pounds “The Super 10”

XI-Inch Dahlgren Gun

XV-Inch Dahlgren Gun

XX-Inch Dahlgren Gun

US Navy 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle (Converted from 11-Inch Dahlgren)

Cast Iron Dahlgren Rifles (30-Pounder, 50-Pounder, 80-Pounder, 150-Pounder)

Note: Dahlgren’s Cast Iron Rifles were under development at the beginning of the American Civil War. As unreinforced, cast-iron rifles, they met very limited success, and quite a few were removed from service. They are only listed in the earlier “Volume 2”

Dahlgren Boat Howitzers and Rifles

US Navy 20-Pounder Parrott Rifles

US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles

Note: The US Army Model of the 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle is generally about 26 inches longer 700 pounds heavier than the US Navy Model.

US Navy 60-Pounder Parrott Rifles

Note: Ordered in 1864 to fill a gap between the 30-Pounder and 100-Pounder, only a few would see service during the American Civil War. However, they remained a fixture in the postwar Navy. By the 1870s almost every ship in commission carried a single 60-Pounder on the forecastle.

US Navy 100-Pounder Parrott Rifles

US Navy 150-Pounder Parrott Rifles

US Navy 32-Pounders of 27 Hundredweight

US Navy 32-Pounders of 33 Hundredweight

US Navy 32-Pounders of 42 Hundredweight

US Navy 32-Pounders of 47 Hundredweight

US Navy 32-Pounders of 51 Hundredweight

US Navy 32-Pounders of 57 Hundredweight

US Navy 8-Inch Shell Gun of 55 Hundredweight

US Navy 8-Inch Shell Gun of 63 Hundredweight

US Navy 8-Inch Shot Firing Gun of 106 Hundredweight

US Navy 10-Inch Shell Gun of 86 Hundredweight