Editing Carronade (section)

==Design==
[[File:Admiralty 18-pdr carronade 1808.jpg|thumb|right|{{center|[[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] [[Limbers and caissons|carriage]] [[Weapon mount|mount]] for an 18-pounder carronade, 1808}}]]

The original design of the carronade included a different type of mounting on a wooden carriage, where the cannon itself had a projecting loop on the bottom that was pinned to the gun carriage, which was fastened to the side of the ship, with a pivoting mounting which allowed the gun to be rotated, while rearward recoil was contained, sometimes with a slider carriage.  In some versions, a wedge was placed underneath the chamber to control elevation, while in later versions an elevating screw was used.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Carronades had a chamber that was one-caliber smaller than the bore; for example, an 18-pounder carronade had its chamber bored equal to a 12-pounder. This reduced the weight of the cannon, but also had the effect of reducing the velocity of the [[Round shot|cannonball]], and hence range. A factor mitigating the deficiency in range was that carronades could be bored with a much tighter [[windage]] than long guns, so that more of the propellant went to moving the shot, rather than bypassing it.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Naval artillery during the [[Age of Sail]] simply was not accurate, regardless of whether the cannon was a gun or a carronade.  Almost all barrels were smoothbore, not rifled, and tolerances had wide variations on everything from the actual roundness and straightness of the barrel to shot size in relation to the bore (windage).  Sights were rudimentary or non-existent, and elevation was controlled by wedges and guesswork.  As a result, effective or decisive naval battles were generally fought at ranges under ({{convert|100|yd|abbr=on}}) where the carronade's heavier ball was useful and its shorter range was not a huge problem.  Technological improvements changed the capabilities of naval armament by the nineteenth century, but muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon were still not very accurate.  Consequently, naval tactics in line of battle counted on the effect of rapid broadsides at short range, to which the carronade could make a significant contribution. In smaller vessels such as frigates, privateers, and raiders, the captains still appreciated long guns for their increased range, since they were not expected to engage in fighting in line-of-battle, but rather often found themselves engaged in long chases or attempts to work to windward. It was often better tactically to attempt to shoot the opponent's rigging down at range rather than close in for direct combat, where the weaker hulls of lighter vessels were at risk. They also often found themselves far from home or harbors, where repairs and spare yards, masts or rigging could be found. Generally, although the power of the "smashers", as they were called,<ref name=evo /><ref>{{cite book|last1=Dahlgren|first1=John Adolphus Bernard|title=Shells and shell-guns|date=1856|publisher=Philadelphia : King & Baird, printers|page=8|url=https://archive.org/stream/shellsandshellg00dahlgoog#page/n33/mode/2up/search/Gift+of+the+Carron+Company+to+Lieutenant+General+Melville}}</ref> was acknowledged, most captains continued to prefer long guns.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}