Krupp 50mm Mountain Guns for Siam (Thailand)

In 1906, Siam (now Thailand) purchased a batch of 50mm mountain guns form Krupp of Germany. These were simple fixed barrel guns with steel-belted wooden wheels. Designed to be carried by elephant, mule, or even soldiers, the guns disassemble into a number of man-portable pieces. Two different styles of rear sight were used, although it is unclear when one replaced the other. Today, these guns are a great choice for the cannon enthusiast as they have been specifically exempted form the NFA and thus transfer like any simple firearm.

23 Comments

  1. I really like the concept and wish I had one of these. Not that I have any use for a cannon, but the breakdown on the takedown is fascinating. Its amazing!

    • If you watch the video McCollum says uniquiveocally that there is absolutely no possible chance whatsoever of ever ever getting ammo for this cannon.

      • He said you couldn’t buy it, but explained how you could make it. It doesn’t sound any more difficult than making cases for most 19th-century obsolete rifle rounds, and people do that all the time.

  2. ‘Quick-firing’ hydraulics were pretty standard by 1906. How late were back-rolling guns made? I suppose weight concerns would make mountain guns the last holdouts.

  3. Alas a 2″ shell probably wouldn’t have enough of a bursting charge to cause much damage as compared to a a simpler, cheaper, lighter 60mm mortar.

      • Clarification.
        In 1906, physically, this mortar did not yet exist. It was in development.
        But the advantage of mortars as mountain weapons was already evident.

        • no matter how evident the advantage they have, as you said, it was still in development

          so, at the time, crude junks like this (mountain gun with no recoil mechanism whatsoever) are still used extensively by both European monkeys and Asian monkeys, particularly the British and the Dutch for the former…and of course, if you count the Ottoman as well

          also…I wonder how long it took for such a sluggish, backwater absolutist government to set up a procurement, but it’s likely that the decision was made long before Russo-Japanese war could become a case study if the gun rolled out in 1906

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