U.S. 3-Inch Field Gun, Model of 1902

U.S. 3-Inch Field Gun, Model of 1902. . Introduced in 1902, this gun replaced the 3.2-inch Field Gun, Model of 1897, as the U.S. Army's standard light artillery piece for the Field Artillery. Slight modifications in the manner of production of the tube and breech mechanism resulted in the Models of 1904 and 1905. It is the first American designed breech-loading gun with an on-carriage recoil system. It used a hydro-spring system, which used both an oil-filled cylinder with a piston and springs to absorb recoil forces and to return the tube to the in-battery position. The M1902 saw service on the Mexican Border during the Punitive Expedition of 1916 against Mexican revolutionary Poncho Villa in 1916. When the U.S. entered World War I in April 1917, there were 544 of the 3-inch guns in service. The guns did not see action in World War I for the following reasons: the difficulty of manufacturing and shipping enough of the uniquely American ammunition to Europe, the availability and superiority of the French 75mm Gun, and lastly, they were needed for training in the U.S. This gun was made at Watervliet Arsenal, New York in 1904. , Caliber - 3 in. - 76.2 mm , Weight - 2,520 lb. - 1,143 kg , Range - 8,500 yds. - 7,772 m , Shell Weight - 19 lb. - 8.6 kg , Muzzle Velocity - 1,700 ft/sec. - 518 m/sec. , Elevation - (- 5 to + 15 degrees) - (- 89 to +267 mils) , Traverse - 7.8 degrees - 140 mils , Rate of Fire - 4-6 rpm , CCN# 119872