Largest gun screw thread
- Who
- Dardanelles Gun
- What
- 16.8 tonne(s)/metric ton(s)
- Where
- United Kingdom (Fort Nelson,)
- When
- 1464
The world's largest - and indeed oldest - (gun) screw thread belongs to the Dardanelles Gun, cast in 1464 for Sultan Mehmet II in Turkey. It is made in two parts from bronze, weighs 16.8 tonnes (37,037 lb) and measures 5.2 m long (17 ft) with a calibre of 635 mm. The bombard is currently on display at the Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson, Hampshire, UK.
The reason it was made of 2 parts was probably to faciliate easier transportation. The gun had a range of 1,600 m (5,249 ft) when fired with a 304 kg (670 lb) projectile. Its rate of fire is 15 rounds per day and was originally loaded with stone balls.