Editing Rodman gun (section)

== Production ==

Rodman guns were all nearly identical in design, with a curving soda bottle shape, the only differences being the size of the gun. They were all [[smoothbore]] guns designed to fire spherical shot and shell, primarily against ships. The guns were elevated and depressed by means of a lever called the elevating bar. The point of this lever fits into ratchets on the earliest guns cast, or sockets on the later guns. The [[lever|fulcrum]], called the ratchet post, fit on the rear transom of the upper carriage. The ratchet post was cast iron and had several notches for adjusting the position of the elevating bar.

Only one 13-inch Rodman gun appears to have been made, but it was placed in service.<ref>{{Harv|Ripley|1984|p=79}}</ref> Two 20-inch Rodman guns were emplaced at [[Fort Hamilton]], New York. A third, shorter 20-inch gun was cast for [[USS Puritan (1864)|USS ''Puritan'']] using the Rodman technology. One 20-inch Rodman gun remains in a park just north of Fort Hamilton, and another is at [[Fort Hancock, New Jersey]].<ref>{{ citation |editor1-first= Samuel |editor1-last= Kneeland |title= The annual of scientific discovery, or, Year-book of facts in science and art | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oGQEAAAAYAAJ&q=cannon%20%22rough%20casting%22&pg=PA111 |year= 1867 |publisher= Gould and Lincoln|location= Boston, Massachusetts |page= 111 }}</ref>

The other, smaller Rodman guns were placed in seacoast fortifications around the United States. It took eight men to load and fire a 10-inch Rodman gun, and 12 men for a 15-inch Rodman gun.

Over 140 Rodman guns survive today. They may be seen at coastal fortifications around the country.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type
! Length
! Weight
! Charge
! Shot
! Shell
! Range
! Number made
! Years made
! Current survivors
! Foundries
! Weight (front pintle carriage)
! Weight (center pintle carriage)
|-
! M. 1861 8-inch
| {{cvt|119.5|in|cm}}
| {{convert|8,465|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|10|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|65|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|50|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{cvt|3,873|yd|m}} @ 30° (shell)
| 213
| 1861-1865
| 56
| Fort Pitt Foundry, Scott Foundry, West Point Foundry
| {{convert|4,899|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|4,539|lb|abbr=on}}
|-
! M. 1861 10-inch
| {{cvt|136.7|in|cm}}
| {{convert|15,509|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|15|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|128|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|102|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{cvt|4,836|yd|m}} @ 30° (shell)
| 1,301
| 1862-1867
| 99
| Fort Pitt Foundry, Scott Foundry, West Point Foundry, Cyrus Alger & Co.
| {{convert|5,031|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|4,626|lb|abbr=on}}
|-
! M. 1864 13-inch
| {{cvt|177.6|in|cm}}
| {{convert|3,271|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|30|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|283|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|218|lb|abbr=on}}
| -
| 1
| 1864
| 0
| -
| -
| -
|-
! M. 1861 15-inch
| {{cvt|190|in|cm}}
| {{cvt|49,909|lb}}
| {{convert|40|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|400|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|352|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{cvt|5,018|yd|m}} @ 30° (shell)
| 323
| 1861-1871
| 25
| Fort Pitt Foundry, Scott Foundry, Cyrus Alger & Co.
| {{convert|22,800|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|21,250|lb|abbr=on}}
|-
! M. 1864 20-inch
| {{cvt|243.5|in|cm}}
| {{convert|115,200|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|200|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|1,080|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|750|lb|abbr=on}}
| {{cvt|8,001|yd|m}} @ 25° (shot)
| 2
| 1864-1869
| 2
| Fort Pitt Foundry
| {{convert|36,000|lb|abbr=on}}
| -
|}