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The term "Wiard Gun" refers to any of several sized rifled artillery pieces invented by Norman Wiard. Wiard Guns included a number of innovative design features.
The unique bottle-shaped barrels of Wiard Guns were manufactured from puddled wrought iron (which Wiard referred to as "semi-steel").
Wiard Guns were also mounted on custom carriages that were lighter than the army's standard Type 1 field carriage and allowed for firing at a much higher angle of elevation.
Wiard Guns were produced with 2.6 in., 3 in. & 3.67 in. bores.
Sources:
Hazlett, James, Edwin Olmstead, & M. Hume Parks. Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War.
(Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1983).
Thomas, Dean. Cannons: An Introduction to Civil War Artillery.
(Gettysburg: Thomas Publications, 1985).
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