BL 16 inch Mk I naval gun
The BL 16-inch Mark I was a British naval gun introduced in the 1920s and used on the two Nelson-class battleships. A breech-loading gun, the barrel was 45 calibres long ("/45" in shorthand) meaning 45 times the 16 in bore – 60 ft long.
BL 16 inch Mk I naval gun
Coote, R G G (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer · This photograph A 1135 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-01) · Public domain
- Name
- Ordnance BL 16 inch Mark I
- Field
- naval artillery · BL 16 inch gun
- Region
- United Kingdom
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The BL 16-inch Mark I was a British naval gun introduced in the 1920s and used on the two Nelson-class battleships. A breech-loading gun, the barrel was 45 calibres long ("/45" in shorthand) meaning 45 times the 16 in bore – 60 ft long.
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wikidata · Q4034704 · wikipedia · BL 16-inch Mk I naval gun
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ordnance BL 16 inch Mark I • Origin — UK • Type — Naval Gun • Is Ranged — yes • Is Artillery — yes • Is Uk — yes • Service — 1927–1948 • Used By — UK • Design Date — 1922 • Weight — 108 tons (109.7 tonnes) • Length — 61 ft 10 in (18.85 m) • Part Length — 60 ft (18.3 m) L/45 • Cartridge — separate charge, AP shell • Cartridge Weight — 2048 lb • Caliber — 16 inch (406 mm) • Rate — 2 rounds per minute as fitted • Velocity — 2,586 feet/second (788 m/s) • Range — 35,000 yards (32,000 m) at 32° elevation • Max Range — 39,780 yards (36,375 m) • Breech — Welin • Elevation — 40°/-3° in mounting Mark I
Successor
Successor
An improved weapon, the BL 16-inch Mark II was designed for the Lion-class battleship which was a successor to the King George V class taking advantage of the larger weapon allowed under the London Naval Treaty from March 1938. This "new design" of 16-inch gun fired a shell that weighed 2375 lb. Construction of first two Lion-class battleships - each of which was to have nine 16-inch guns - was halted at the start of the Second World War; only a few months after they were laid down. Work on the armament continued for a while but that was also stopped after only four guns and no turrets were produced.
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
• 41 cm/45 3rd Year Type naval gun: Japanese equivalent • 16"/45 caliber Mk 1, 5 & 8 gun: American equivalent
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- United Kingdom
Description
These wire-wound built-up guns had originally been planned for the cancelled G3-class battlecruiser design upon which the Nelson class drew. Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Company at Elswick, Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness, William Beardmore & Company at Dalmuir and the Royal Gun Factory at Woolwich made a total of 29 guns of which 18 would be required for both ships at any time. • Illustration — HMS Nelson firing a salvo during gunnery trials, 1942 These guns broke with the example offered by the earlier 15-inch Mk I gun, which fired a heavy shell at a rather low muzzle velocity, and instead fired a rather light shell at a high muzzle velocity; this was not a success, as at the initial muzzle velocity the gun wore down rapidly and the accuracy was unsatisfactory, so much that it was lowered. Furthermore, a heavier shell was proposed but not adopted because of stringent budget policies of the 1930s; therefore, this naval gun wasn't seen as particularly successful.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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