[fernando]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Originally Posted by ... what is the bore of the gun and if it tells us anything? I know certain eras didn't have certain sizes and likewise, certain countries didn't use certain sizes...

Originally Posted by fernando

...Ah Mark, you are perfectly right ... but this thing of determining a gun calibre is a bone hard to chew You have the concept of the pound weight along time, the gun windage (gap between ball and bore) varying per country criteria, type of gun, founder techniques and so, the wearing of the gun after several shots ... you name it.
This could be a 14 pounder, as hardly a 12 and more hardly a 15

I thought i should quote Nico Brinck's words in the caliber issue; let me reconsider my previous estimate ... now appointing to a 12 pounder.

A bore of 123mm means a calibre of 13 Amsterdam pounds. Friesland used Amsterdam pounds of 494 grams.
But there was standardization which demanded that the guns should be 6, 8, 12, 18, 24 or 36 pounders. The 12pdr had a bore diametre of about 120mm and an 18pdr had about 14 mm. And there would be plenty windage so the diametre of the shot would be around 110-115mm
So this is most likely a cannon with a worn bore, perhaps by multiple firing or by erosion from the sea.