Russian 120 mm/45 (4.7") Pattern 1892

Russian
120 mm/45 (4.7") Pattern 1892
Updated 16 March 2006

This was one of a pair of Canet designs, the other being a 15.2 cm/45 (6") gun, which were shown to a Russian delegation in 1891. By using fixed ammunition the French were able to achieve an amazing rate of fire for the time of 12 rpm for the 12 cm/45 (4.7") and 10 rpm for the 15.2 cm/45 (6"). A license was purchased and production in Russian began in 1892. By 1901 some 76 of the 12 cm (4.7") guns had been manufactured by OSZ.

During the Russo-Japanese war there were several cases of the 15.2 cm (6") guns suffering burst barrels. This led to the design of strengthened versions of both weapons after the war.

Between 1909 and 1915 OSZ built an additional 34 guns and between 1914 and 1916 Perm' factory built a further 14 unstrengthened and 18 strengthened guns. There were a total of 83 guns on the navy's rolls by 1917. These were actively used in both World War I and the Russian Civil War as ship guns, coastal defense guns, railroad guns and to arm river craft and armored trains. In 1941 there were 35 still in service.

The gun had an unfastened barrel, which was made from an inner tube fastened with a casing and an extra ring. The breech was of a piston type design.

12 cm/45 (4.7") gun in the coast defence mounting at Kronshtadt in 1942

Gun Characteristics .

Designation	120 mm/45 (4.7") Pattern 1892
Ship Class Used On	Andrey Pervosvanny class BBs, BB Imperator Alexandr II (rearmed), BB Tri Svyatitleya, Admiral Ushakov class CBBs, Vladimir Monomakh class ACs (rearmed), AC Rurik (I), Novik class CLs, CL Boyarin, CL Almaz, AMCs, Koreets class gunboats, Gilyak class gunboats, Kars class gunboats, Lieutenant Shestakov class DDs, Amur class minelayers, Vogul class river gunboats
Date Of Design	N/A
Date In Service	1892
Gun Weight	2.906 tons (2.952 mt)
Gun Length oa	212.6 in (5.400 m)
Bore Length	N/A
Rifling Length	167.8 in (4.262 m)
Grooves	30
Lands	N/A
Twist	N/A
Chamber Volume	N/A
Rate Of Fire	12 - 15 rounds per minute

Ammunition .

Type	Fixed
Projectile Types and Weights	AP "old model" - 45.15 lbs. (20.47 kg) SAP mod 1911 - 63.87 lbs. (28.97 kg) HE mod 1907 - 45.15 lbs. (20.48 kg) FRAG mod 1911 - 50.71 lbs. (23 kg) Shrapnel - 45 lbs. (20.41 kg) Diving - 57.54 lbs. (26.1 kg)
Bursting Charge	SAP mod 1911 - 8.22 lbs. (3.73 kg) HE mod 1907 - 5.64 lbs. (2.56 kg) FRAG mod 1911 - 6.97 lbs. (3.16 kg) Shrapnel - 0.64 lbs. (0.29 kg) Diving - 11.38 lbs. (5.16 kg)
Projectile Length	SAP mod 1911 - 5.0 calibers HE mod 1907 - 3.55 calibers FRAG mod 1911 - 4.96 calibers Shrapnel - 3.73 calibers Diving - 5.0 calibers
Propellant Charge	14.33 lbs. - 16.5 lbs. (6.5 kg - 7.48 kg)
Muzzle Velocity	AP "old model" - 2,700 fps (823 mps) SAP mod 1911 - 2,250 fps (686 mps) HE mod 1907 - 2,700 fps (823 mps) FRAG mod 1911 - 2,400 fps (731.5 mps) Shrapnel - 2,700 fps (823 mps) Diving - 710 fps (216.4 mps)
Working Pressure	N/A
Approximate Barrel Life	N/A
Ammunition stowage per gun	Andrey Pervozvanny class - 200 rounds Others - N/A
Note: The gun could also fire the rounds from the Russian 12 cm/50 Pattern 1905.

Range .

Elevation	With 63.87 lbs. (28.97 kg) SAP mod 1911
Range @ 20 degrees	13,000 yards (11,895 m)
Range @ 25 degrees	14,000 yards (13,176 m)
Range @ 38 degrees	16,410 yards (15,006 m)
Elevation	With 45.15 lbs. (20.47 kg) AP "old model"
Range @ 18 degrees	11,000 yards (10,065 m)
Elevation	With 45.15 lbs. (20.48 kg) HE mod 1907
Range @ 25 degrees	12,364 yards (11,306 m)
Note: Elevations above 25 degrees would only be applicable to coastal artillery mounts.

Mount / Turret Data .

Designation	Canet single mount Canet Casemate mount Metal Factory Single Mount
Weight	Canet single mount: 7.383 tons (7.5 mt) Canet Casemate mount: 7.71 tons (7.833 mt) Metal Factory Single Mount: 8.643 tons (8.78 mt)
Elevation	Canet single mount: -7 / +20 degrees Metal Factory Single Mount: -7 / +25 degrees
Rate of Elevation	N/A
Train	Single mounts: 360 degrees Canet Casemate mount: 100 degrees
Rate of Train	N/A
Gun Recoil	Canet single mount: 11.58 in (294 mm) Metal Factory Single Mount: 11.18 in (284 mm)
Loading Angle	Any

Data from
"Morskaya Artilleriya Rossiyskogo Flota 1867-1922" (Naval Artillery of the Russian Fleet 1867-1922) and "Entsiklopedia Otechestvennoi Artillerii" (Encyclopedia of Fatherland [Russian] Artillery) both by A.V. Shirokorad
Special help from Vladimir Yakubov