Two nice French guns outside at Watervliet Arsenal

[cannonmn]

The photos are detailed enough that you can get just about every marking on these two guns if you are interested.  The guns came over from France as 4-pounders but were apparently bored up to US 6-pounder bore size, for use in the Rev War.  I've suggested to the museum that they look into doing something about the ongoing acid rain corrosion.  These guns were half-embedded in concrete for a long time.

Slideshow:

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b62/cannonmn/miscforumsetc/forums%2032/?action=view&current=c28022c1.pbw

[KABAR2]

I wonder if these were captured during the French & Indian war? Do they have any history on them?

[cannonmn]

200 French 4-pounders where bought by US from France in 1777? (see Supplying Washington's Army, an excellent document, on the web.)  175 were the short 4-pdr. shown and the rest were the long 4-pdr., about 1.5 times heavier and a couple of feet longer than short one.  Knox thought them all much too heavy for their caliber so either had them bored out, or is thought to have melted many down to provide metal for casting lighter guns or howitzers.

These two are undoubtedly of that lot.  The first one in the slideshow has been fired so much the bore measures close to 4" now.