USS Iowa

[Capt Worley PE]

The last battleship takes its last voyage.

/>http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-27/world-war-ii-era-uss-iowa-leaves-forl-los-angeles/50968324/1

Every weapon system, no matter how impressive, is eventually overtaken by time and technology.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

The Iowa has nine 16-inch, 50-caliber guns...

These are mutually exclusive descriptions. 50 caliber = 1/2".

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

The Iowa has nine 16-inch, 50-caliber guns...

These are mutually exclusive descriptions. 50 caliber = 1/2".

Guns have multiple dimensions. In this case: quantity, length, caliber...

 

[wilheldp_PE]

A 16" long, 50 caliber gun would be a really long handgun or a really short rifle. And putting nine 50 caliber guns on a battleship is like arming an infantryman with a water pistol.

16" is the bore of the gun (i.e., caliber) as signified by the next line..."capable of firing shells weighing a ton or more for 20 miles." The biggest of .50 BMG projectiles weighs in at less than 2 ounces.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Wil, in naval guns, the caliber will give you the barrel length. A 16" 50 caliber naval gun has a barrel length of (16)(50) or 800 inches.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

I stand corrected...

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Wil, in naval guns, the caliber will give you the barrel length. A 16" 50 caliber naval gun has a barrel length of (16)(50) or 800 inches.

So, 16 inches is the diameter of the bore, correct? And 50 caliber is just a multiplier to give you the length of the gun? That's really confusing since caliber is used to measure bore diameter in every other type of gun. Why don't they just say 16" bore, 800" long guns?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Wil, in naval guns, the caliber will give you the barrel length. A 16" 50 caliber naval gun has a barrel length of (16)(50) or 800 inches.

So, 16 inches is the diameter of the bore, correct? And 50 caliber is just a multiplier to give you the length of the gun? That's really confusing since caliber is used to measure bore diameter in every other type of gun. Why don't they just say 16" bore, 800" long guns?

Yes, 16" is gun diameter,and caliber is the multiplier to get barrel length.

it isn't confusing if you work in the industry. I'm sure your specialty has nomenclature few outside the industry would understand.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Wil, in naval guns, the caliber will give you the barrel length. A 16" 50 caliber naval gun has a barrel length of (16)(50) or 800 inches.

So, 16 inches is the diameter of the bore, correct? And 50 caliber is just a multiplier to give you the length of the gun? That's really confusing since caliber is used to measure bore diameter in every other type of gun. Why don't they just say 16" bore, 800" long guns?

Yes, 16" is gun diameter,and caliber is the multiplier to get barrel length.

it isn't confusing if you work in the industry. I'm sure your specialty has nomenclature few outside the industry would understand.

Most of the specialty nomenclature in my industry doesn't have widely held meanings outside of the industry that differ vastly from our definition.

 

[Road Guy]

Nerds!

 

[Flyer_PE]

^Considering this is an engineering forum, is that an insult or a compliment?