What where Napoleonic era cannons made out of?

For weight reasons Napoleonic land based field guns had been made from bronze .   Some older iron guns got used , in, 1812 a few old iron field guns got used in Prussia  with rear units.    Fortress guns are often iron, the weight being not important. In general an iron gun of same calibre was cheaper but heavier.

Navy guns are mostly iron too, not being horse drawn………

To protect them iron barrels got painted, normally black. But some RN ones are known to have had a chocolate Color by mixing red and black. Bronze / Brass are polished in garrison but left dull in the field.

Only later in 19th century iron casting became so good that the same strength was possible at same weight. But even in ACW a brass Napoleon 12pdr was safer than an iron one.

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More important für modelling  is the carriage color:

Austria Ochre

Baden Dark Grey

Bavaria Light Blue Grey

UK Blue Grey

France light olive green

Prussia  Mid Blue

Russia  Aple greenSaxonia   Dark Grey

Danmark  Light reddish brown

Westfalia like France

Iron Fittings black, but in Russia polished. I Danmark Yellow

• This reply was modified 3 years, 12 months ago by invisible officer.